No 24-hour curfew if people cooperate

No 24-hour curfew if people cooperate

Police report 998 curfew violations overnight

The street is deserted outside the Defence Ministry in Bangkok after the government imposed a night curfew, which is still deemed adequate. (Photo: Arnun Chonmahatrakool)
The street is deserted outside the Defence Ministry in Bangkok after the government imposed a night curfew, which is still deemed adequate. (Photo: Arnun Chonmahatrakool)

There will be no 24-hour curfew if people comply with the current 10pm-4am prohibition and the number of new cases of coronavirus disease drops, the head of the government's Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration said on Monday.

Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin was responding to speculation on social media and some news reports that the government was planning to impose a round-the-clock curfew.

He said they had misinterpreted an order issued by the Interior Ministry for local authorities to prepare disease control measures in advance, and misunderstood that a 24-hour curfew would be imposed.

"We have just announced a curfew from 10pm to 4am every day. Everyone still needs some time to adapt.

"If you can do it and the number of new infections falls, there will not be any other measures. But if the figure continues to rise, existing measures will be considered as inadequate, and more measures may be necessary," Dr Taweesin said.

Government spokeswoman Narumon Pinyosinwat quoted Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha as saying that the current curfew remained unchanged, but the government needed to prepare possible new measures in advance to best cope with Covid-19.

Dr Taweesin said that during the overnight curfew from Sunday to Monday morning, police detained 919 violators. Another 79 had gathered together inside residences in a way that might spread the disease.

"This shows that some people were still being uncooperative. They numbered about 1,000. Please comply for the sake of yourself, your families and your society," he said.

Police pressed charges against 708 people and issued warnings to the others for violating the curfew. Police also increased the number of curfew checkpoints from 836 on Sunday to 923 on Monday, Dr Taweesin said.

He also said that on Monday 48 Thai people trying to come home were still stranded at airports in Japan (12), South Korea (35) and the Netherlands (1) due to the temporary ban on all inbound flights. Thai embassy staff were taking care of them .

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