Today, the Centre for Covid19 Situation Administration (CCSA) meets to debate imposing more stringent Covid measures in Bangkok and its vicinity as well as the the four southernmost provinces in a new bid to battle Covid-19.
In doing so, the CCSA has deliberately avoided using the term "lockdown." The measures, nevertheless, amount to a soft lockdown.
Set to take effect for 14 days, the steps would lead to Bangkok and its vicinity being sealed off, with inter-provincial travel banned.
Essential businesses still will be allowed to operate, while shopping malls, supermarkets and fresh markets will be asked to cut their hours. Some businesses may even be asked to close their doors for two weeks.
People will be asked to stay home, and go out only when necessary such as to buy food. The quasi-lockdown measures were proposed by the Ministry of Public Health, with a clear and singular mission -- to prevent the public healthcare system from collapsing as the number of patients outstrips the capacity of state hospitals to treat them.
The CCSA forecasts that total Covid cases might surpass 10,000 cases per day by next week.
The public health crisis justifies the semi-lockdown measures despite their potential knockout effect on the economy.
Yet the Prayut government cannot afford a repeat the mistakes it made in managing the crisis over the past 18 months.
This time, the government must respond quickly as needs arise to inject money, soft loans, grants or even give relief items directly to affected business and workers to help them make ends meet.
As the 14-day Covid measure will hit daily wage workers and street vendors hardest, the government must make sure they have enough food and money to survive.
But the most urgent priority is for the CCSA's operations centre to work harder and smarter to control people's movements including risk groups such as labourers.
In past 18 months, it has failed in this crucial task. Take the persistent problem of illegal entry by migrant workers from neighbouring countries which has led to cluster infections. One glaring example came early this month when hundreds of construction workers managed to flee their camps as the state tried to lock the camps down, leading to Covid infections in more than 30 provinces. Needless to say, failure is not an option this time.
And no more flip flops on vaccines. The Public Health Ministry has revised its vaccination plan regularly to accommodate the needs of the economy and the state's plans to reopen the country.
But as the latest Covid measures are designed with public health as the uppermost concern, the ministry must regain its focus and spend every minute it can on providing quality vaccines to vulnerable groups including the elderly, not to mention front-line workers.
It must also accelerate Covid testing capacity in the capital as well as build more Covid isolation and field hospitals.
The government has 14 days, its last chance to restore battered public confidence in its performance.
Of course, the new quasi-lockdown will trigger debate and it is impossible for the government to satisfy everyone in a country that has been so polarised; but the government can help bridge the gap and unite people by being transparent, accountable and fair.
Anything else, and the next 14 days could spell the end for this government.