Travel outside 13 provinces curbed

Travel outside 13 provinces curbed

A military policeman mans a checkpoint on a road in Bangkok on July 10 before the curfew came into force two days later. More checkpoints are being erected in Bangkok and 12 provinces. (Photo: Nutthawat Wicheanbut)
A military policeman mans a checkpoint on a road in Bangkok on July 10 before the curfew came into force two days later. More checkpoints are being erected in Bangkok and 12 provinces. (Photo: Nutthawat Wicheanbut)

Checkpoints are being set up to restrict mobility in 13 provinces in a bid to prevent Covid-19 from spreading from the dark-red zone.

The checkpoints are being built and more security personnel would man all roads linking the 13 provinces with their neighbours from Monday, Taweesilp Visanuyothin, the spokesman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said on Monday.

He warned of the difficulties people in the provinces would encounter as authorities would make sure they could not go to other provinces. Travellers from other provinces to the dark-red zone would also be strictly screened.

Travel inside the 13 targeted provinces during the day, while still possible, was also discouraged and more checkpoints would be added, he added.

"Do not travel if not necessary," the CCSA spokesman said.

The newly designated dark-red zone consists of Bangkok and nearby provinces — Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Chachoengsao, Chon Buri and Ayutthaya — and four southern provinces — Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala and Songkhla.

All but three have already been in lockdown since last Monday. Chon Buri, Chachoengsao and Ayutthaya, which were added to the zone on Sunday, will join them starting Tuesday.

A curfew from 9pm-4pm is another restriction in these provinces.

Dr Taweesilp confirmed the announcement of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand that domestic flights out of Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airport would stop from Wednesday.

As well, the capacities of other public transport modes will be halved from Wednesday.

The restrictions were enforced after the country continued to see record numbers of confirmed cases and deaths.

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