Mask-wearing rule to end 'only in certain areas'

Students wear masks to protect themselves from Covid-19 at Wat Rajabopit School in Bangkok this month. (Photo: Nutthawat Wicheanbut)
Students wear masks to protect themselves from Covid-19 at Wat Rajabopit School in Bangkok this month. (Photo: Nutthawat Wicheanbut)

The Public Health Ministry has said the mask-wearing requirement may be eased only in some areas.

The Public Health Ministry's Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit on Wednesday said the Covid-19 situation has improved so the pandemic may be downgraded to an endemic disease.

The ministry then must step up measures to ensure people can live with Covid-19 safely, he added.

The lifting of the mask requirement is one option but the ministry does not plan to do so entirely yet, Dr Kiattiphum said. Indoor and outdoor masking will be eased in certain areas with lower infection rates and well-prepared treatment systems and where most locals are fully vaccinated.

The mask regulations may be adjusted around mid-June, Dr Kiattiphum said.

However, the high-risk group -- people aged 60 years and above, those with underlying diseases and pregnant women -- may be required to put on masks in certain areas for their own safety, as well as people in crowded areas, he added.

The Department of Disease Control said the relaxing of face mask measures may start in 31 provinces which he said includes 14 provinces designated as green zones plus 17 provinces in blue zones including Bangkok, Chon Buri, Chiang Mai and Phuket.

Another condition is that 60% of the population in the provinces should have three Covid-19 vaccines.

Vocabulary

  • adjust: to change something slightly, especially to make it more correct, effective, or suitable - ปรับ
  • certain (adj): some; particular things, people or groups without giving any more details about it or them - บ้าง
  • condition: something that must be done before another thing can happen - เงื่อนไข
  • designated: given; chosen for something - ที่ได้รับการแต่งตั้ง
  • downgrade: to reduce someone or something to a lower rank or position, to reduce the strength of something - ลดความสำคัญ, ลดความรุนแรง
  • endemic: regularly found in a particular place or among a particular group of people and difficult to get rid of - ประจำท้องถิ่น
  • entirely: completely; in every way possible - โดยทั้งหมด, โดยสิ้นเชิง
  • pandemic: a disease that affects almost everyone in a very large area - โรคที่มีการแพร่กระจายหรือระบาดไปทั่ว
  • requirement: something that you must have or do in order to do or get something else - ข้อกำหนด, ข้อบังคับ
  • step up: to increase - เพิ่ม
  • underlying (adj): important in a situation but not always easily noticed or stated clearly; existing under the surface of something else - ที่สำคัญและซ่อนอยู่, ที่อยู่ในตำแหน่งต่ำกว่า
Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (1)
MORE IN SECTION