TRAT: Two villages in tambon Hat Lek of Khlong Yai district are being placed under seven-day lockdown from Thursday, with all movement of migrant workers prohibited immediately, after a sharp rise in Covid-19 infections.
District chief Khajitvej Kaewnoi on Tuesday issued an order to impose lockdown measures on Khong Makham Village Moo 1 and Khlong Son village Moo 5 for seven days from Sept 23 to Sept 29.
The lockdown came after the two villages in tambon Hat Lek saw a rise in coronavirus infections.
From Sept 1 to Sept 20, tambon Hat Lek reported 227 Covid-19 cases. Between Sept 10-20, this tambon logged 199 infections.
Khlong Yai district had a total of 670 coronavirus infections.
District authorities on Tuesday also prohibited the movement of migrant workers in the two villages, effective immediately. They sought cooperation from fishing trawler operators in tambon Hat Lek in preventing crews leaving piers during this period.
The Port In and Port Out Centre in the district has been asked to conduct Covid-19 testing using antigen kits on all crew members
Kitprapa Prasitthivej, mayor of tambon Hat Lek municipality, said Covid-19 infections in tambon Hat Lek kept rising due to the travels of Cambodian workers between tambon Hat Lek and tambon Hat Yai.
Local authorities saw it as necessary to prohibit the movement of workers in the two villages. However, trading and sorting of seafood could continue as normal, he said.
Provincial authorities provided vaccination services to local residents as normal, said the mayor.
In tambon Hat Lek, 50-60% of residents have so far been vaccinated, Mr Kitprapa sad.
The municipality will conduct mass testing using antigen kits of residents in the two villages on Sept 29. Those who test positive must then undergo PT-PCR tests, said the mayor.