The country has started the countdown for the second round of easing and reopening, with the initial date set for May 17, though conditions do apply. Indeed, we will probably know within the next five days if the much-anticipated relaxation, with greater freedom of movement and various business and trade reopenings, is possible.
After the lockdown was partially eased on May 3, more people came out to enjoy life, small businesses like hair dressers and food shops pulled up their shutters, and public parks welcomed visitors. The easing has rekindled people's hopes that they can once again start making money and no longer fear living with empty stomachs.
The decision to partially relax controls comes as the country has been doing well in curbing the virus' spread, with new cases in the one-digit range for several days running. With the eased restrictions, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration insisted that major measures should remain in place, including active case finding in some areas, travel controls for Thais returning from abroad and mandated state quarantine.
But we did see some loopholes over the past week that may shatter the hopes for the May 17 reopening. Indeed, there are concerns about a second-wave outbreak, which will be confirmed from today on after the incubation period.
I refer particularly to the "exodus" on May 1, the first day of the long holiday period, as a large number of people left Bangkok post haste, causing heavy traffic on the highways to the North and Northeast. It is reported that the number of travellers hit 200,000 that day alone. It was similar in Phuket, as several thousands of people tried to ditch the island for their home provinces, causing traffic to grind to a halt. Then some tourists decided to stop by Trat, prompting authorities to remind the public of the lockdown rules and the mandatory 14-day quarantine.
Stunned by the exodus, the CCSA as well as the government frantically issued warnings, reminding people of the need to stay put as the state of emergency and curfew remain intact. Yet, it was too late. We have every reason to worry about social distancing not being properly observed.
But can we really blame those travellers? Not entirely.
We have to admit that the government shares some of the blame as well. Its decision to maintain the holidays went against the CCSA's advice, meaning some people would have up to six days away from work, gave the wrong signal to the public that travel curbs had been lifted.
No sooner had the government recovered from the exodus shock than there was a "booze rush" when people descended on a Bangkok-based mega-store, scrambling to grab cases of beer. The government should have expected the tumult, with physical distancing ruthlessly violated after nearly a month-long ban. Preventive measures should have been, but were not, put in place.
The exodus and the booze rush should have taught the government a few valuable lessons. Unfortunately, those lessons appear to have fallen on deaf ears. We saw other shortcomings on May 5 when physical distancing was glaringly breached during rush hour train travel in the capital. The BTS overcrowding was a case in point.
The Transport Ministry said that the number of train commuters increased more than two-fold, from 188,989 on May 1 to almost 400,000 on that day. The operator said system failures in the morning caused the massive backlog, yet the lack of crowd-control measures aggravated the problem. Imagine if there was just one spreader in the crowd. That could lead to dozens of infections. Lest we forget, among the people we meet, 30-50% are asymptomatic. Without realising the problem beforehand, the train operator were caught completely off-guard, while the state was too passive. Only after the clips and photos of the BTS crowds caused public anger did the city dispatch its officials to ensure social distancing is observed.
But should blame not be put on those commuters? I think not.
The BTS phenomenon stems significantly from the government's ambiguity when it comes to the "work from home" (WFH) policy. Even though it insisted that WFH is still on, in practice, the private sector as well as state agencies have returned to business-as-usual mode. The state's half-halfheartedness over WFH, by urging business operators and state agencies to stagger working hours, means the policy is practically ditched while the virus risk remains.
Let me say, the risk of the virus spreading on public transport is high. In addition to electric trains, water transport has also seen a sharp rise in commuter numbers.
Loopholes can also be seen in other areas, including at several wet and flea markets in Bangkok and beyond. We have to admit that the physical conditions of those markets makes it difficult for visitors to observe social distancing, and we see people packing certain stalls to grab their purchases. Worse, some have not worn face masks.
Of course, we feel pity for the small operators whose places were shuttered for weeks, but they should maintain safe practices, doing their best to prevent a new outbreak that would cause another long lockdown.
Now everyone has a duty to ensure that all the necessary measures to stave off the virus are stringently observed. We cannot afford leniency. The state may have to impose those measures instead of asking for cooperation if negligence continues. Don't forget that we are not in normal times just yet.
If new cases do not surge in the next five days despite our complacency -- failing to tuck in our chin, as boxers would say -- this may mean we have really brought the virus under control. If that is the case, the chances of returning to normal will come sooner.