THE Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) meeting this morning (15.5.2020), presided over by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, agreed to reduce the curfew by an hour from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. instead of 10 p.m.to 4 a.m. previously from Sunday May 17 onward, Voice TV and PostToday reported..
Mr Peeraphan Saleeratviphak, Prime Minister’s adviser, told Voice TV that the meeting also agreed to further relax restrictions on various types of businesses and activities because the Covid-19 situation has improved in Thailand with strict supervision of public health standards being the remaining necessity.
Culture Minister Ittipol Khunpluem said the second phase of the easing of the lockdown allows malls and shopping centres to open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Sunday May 17 onward, reduced from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. requested by the operators, to give workers and shoppers enough time to return home before curfew starts at 11 p.m.
The operators have to also strictly screen shoppers with this including temperature check, dispensing hand sanitizer, as well as specifying the number of shoppers allowed in at one time and the amount of time they can be within the complex.
He added that that today’s meeting decided to slow down the reopening of Phuket from previously set for May 16 with CCSA to raise this issue again next week.
Regarding shooting movies, the producers have to first register with the Culture Ministry and give the names of all the people involved in the production. They were also urged cut out scenes of close proximity such as fistfights and love scenes and to use camera angles to get around it.
Local officials nationwide will be checking to see whether businesses opening up violate restrictions and if any establishment is found to have broken the rules they can, according to the law, be immediately shut.
However it has been found that the majority, up to 70%, are following the restrictions with those violating them being mostly small restaurants that do not have enough space to move tables further apart.
CAPTION:
A masked mannequin at a Bangkok shopping mall. Photo:w K.rol2007 (CC BY 2.0)
