The permanent secretary for health warns Myanmar migrants' weekly rallies at the United Nations complex in Bangkok can seriously spread Covid-19 again as they come from epidemic provinces.
Dr Kiatiphum Wongrajit said on Thursday that the weekly rallies were a serious concern because Myanmar demonstrators came from many areas where Covid-19 was spreading, including Samut Sakhon province.
"Many people joined the rallies. They shouted and talked closely without adequate protection such as social distancing and the use of face masks," he said.
"The Myanmar demonstrators who left their areas where the disease was spreading can cause a new wave of Covid-19. I am asking employers and operators to tell their workers that rallies and exits from their areas are illegal and, importantly, pose the risks of spreading the disease in the country."
An effective way to control the disease was to prohibit workers from leaving their areas without permission, Dr Kiatiphum said.
Although persistent disease control efforts were improving the Covid-19 situation in the country, people could not be complacent because new Covid-19 cases were emerging in many areas, including a new cluster of cases in Prachin Buri and Nakhon Nayok provinces.
The new clusters formed because people turned a deaf ear on advice to observe safe practices, including the use of face masks, social distancing and hand washing, Dr Kiatiphum said.
