At least six provinces are welcoming back Covid-positive residents working in Greater Bangkok and other places with open arms in an attempt to keep new infections at bay.
Lampang, Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen, Chaiyaphum, Phitsanulok and Nakhon Si Thammarat have separately introduced a "no-one-left-behind programme" since labour camps in Greater Bangkok were ordered to shut down for one month from June 28.
Despite different launch dates, the schemes share the same goal: Covid-19 containment by discouraging infected people, including construction workers, to sneak back into their home provinces, thereby exacerbating the risk of spreaking the coronavirus around the country.
While residents can return for treatment in their home provinces, there are conditions -- including not using public transport, as that could spread the virus to other passengers.
"It is better for us to let them back in openly in so we can isolate them from other people," Lampang governor Narongsak Osottanakorn said on Thursday.
The idea took shape after Bangkok hospitals reported a shortage of beds and camp closures in Bangkok and five surrounding provinces forced workers to rush back to their home provinces before enforcement began last Monday. Some workers have slipped back home since then.
The exact number of fleeing workers is unknown. About 200 workers in Greater Bangkok have tested positive in their provinces, most of them in the northeastern region, according to the latest information by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration posted on Friday.
Chaiyaphum has logged 27 infected returnees, while Phitsanulok has welcomed back at least 10 since the camps in the capital area were shut down. Nakhon Ratchasima has received 75 in the last three days. Data in the three other provinces participating in the scheme were not immediately available.
Nakhon Ratchasima is using Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital to treat infected workers from Bangkok.
Hospital assistant director Jade Boonyawongwirote said on Sunday the province decided to admit them to the hospital because they had little chance of finding beds in Bangkok after testing positive.
He admitted the welcome-back project was draining both the energy of heath personnel and also the number of beds in the hospital. Only 18 were left to treat covonavirus patients, he said, but more hospitals in the province would be contacted to ease the incoming caseload from Greater Bangkok.