Complete end to lockdown on July 1

Some vendors and customers remove face masks at Wong Wian Yai market in Bangkok on Thursday even though the government is asking people to wear them. Security officials say all businesses and activities will be allowed to resume in July. (Photo by Arnun Chonmahatrakool)
Some vendors and customers remove face masks at Wong Wian Yai market in Bangkok on Thursday even though the government is asking people to wear them. Security officials say all businesses and activities will be allowed to resume in July. (Photo by Arnun Chonmahatrakool)

The government has set July 1 for the lifting of all business and activity lockdowns ordered earlier to cope with Covid-19, said the National Security Council chief.

These include interprovincial and international travel, as well as the end of emergency decree and curfew.

NSC secretary-general Gen Somsak Rungsita said on Thursday that the lift of restrictions would be a complete reopening of the country. 

"Authorities will have serious discussions because after the emergency decree ends, other laws will be used instead," he said.

"People's cooperation is important. This concerns the use of face masks, social distancing, hand wash and limited activities. As long as the disease is spreading worldwide, we will have to fight against it for a while."

The full reopening will come after the third phase of the relaxation takes place in June.

The government's Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) will on Friday finalise details on what businesses could resume and on what conditions under the third phase.

Gen Somsak said that curfew hours would be further shortened and more restrictions on inter-provincial travel would be lifted under the third phase in June.

Operators and customers would be required to use Thai Chana website for checking in and out of premises since the businesses allowed to reopen in this stage are medium- to high-risk ones.

Prime Minister's Office Minister Tewan Liptapallop said movie theatres would not reopen because operators said there were no new movies during this time.

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Vocabulary

  • cooperation: a situation in which people or organisations work together to achieve a result that will benefit all of them - การร่วมมือกัน
  • curfew: a law that does not allow people to go outside between a particular time in the evening and a particular time in the morning - กฎอัยการศึก คือห้ามออกนอกบ้านในยามวิกาล
  • discussion: conversation; talk - การสนทนา, การอภิปราย
  • emergency decree (noun): a situation where the government takes on special powers in a dangerous situation and the rights of the people are often limited in some way - ประกาศภาวะฉุกเฉิน  
  • finalise: to complete the last part of a plan, trip, project, etc - ทำให้เสร็จสมบูรณ์
  • interprovincial (adj): travelling around different provinces of the country -
  • phase: a particular period of time during the development of something - ตอน, ขั้นตอน, ช่วง, ระยะ
  • premises: the buildings and land that a business or organisation uses - ที่ดินและสิ่งปลูกสร้าง
  • restriction: a rule, action or situation that limits or controls someone or something - การจำกัด, การควบคุม
  • resume: to begin again after stopping for a period of time - เริ่มอีกครั้ง, กลับมาอีกครั้ง

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