On 19 June 2020, Pol.Lt.Gen. Sopon Pisuttiwong, Deputy Governor of Bangkok, in his capacity as Director of the BMA’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration, presided over meeting No. 60/2020 of the BMA’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration.
The BMA has been assigned by the Ministry of Public Health to conduct proactive COVID-19 testing using the sentinel surveillance system with saliva testing. To this end, the ministry has provided the BMA with 15,210 COVID-19 test kits. Saliva samples collected for testing as of 18 June 2020 number 15,062 cases totalling 99.03 % of the kits. Of all tested samples, 10,975 cases were found not to be infected while 4,087 cases were in the testing process. As of 23 June, no new COVID-19 cases had been reported for 29 days in a row, exceeding double the virus incubation period of 14 days, and indicating that Bangkok is safe from the virus as of now.
Moreover, the BMA enjoined BMA-affiliated schools to sanitize their premises, especially high-touch surfaces, student tables, school canteens, medical rooms and toilets. The schools are directed to provide screening points for their staff, students and parents before entering the school area. Handwashing stations with water and soap or alcohol-based hand sanitizer are also required to be provided for students and teachers so that they can wash their hands regularly.
