THE Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) announced at 3.25 p.m. today (Feb. 22) that it was agreed at a meeting held earlier to extend the emergency decree another month till end of March while now allowing alcohol to be served at all licenced venues till 11 p.m., Siam Rath said.
CCSA’s spokesman Dr. Taweesilp Visanuyothin said the coronavirus demarcation has also been changed with only Samut Sakhon province still remaining in the severest red zone.
There are now eight provinces in the orange zone with these being Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Samut Songkhram, Nakhon Pathom, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Ratchaburi and Tak. Listed in the yellow zone are 14 provinces while 54 are in the green category.
People can now drink alcohol at any venue allowed to serve it till 11 p.m. with these establishments allowed to play live music but dancing is still prohibited. This applies to all provinces except Samut Sakhon.
However Dr. Taweesilp added that provincial authorities would again have to declare the alcohol sale hours.
Shopping centres too may now open as usual.
While education institutions can open normally some restrictions still remain in place with one applying to sports as although gymnasiums can now open normally, spectators are not allowed in for sporting events.
Meanwhile Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha offered himself up as the first person in Thailand to take the Sinovac vaccine to boost public confidence.
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul had said the Covid-19 vaccine is a sensitive issue and needs to be thoroughly explained to the public. He added that the vaccine management team is under a lot of pressure over this issue.
The minister also assured that the first lot of vaccines would arrive in Thailand on Wednesday Feb 24 as the Sinovac vaccine-maker had sent him a picture to confirm this.
He added that the vaccine will be dispatched on a regular basis until April when the shipments of the 2 million doses ordered by the Government Pharmaceutical Organization are completed.
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Top: A musician at a Havana entertainment venue in 2016. Photo: Ken Walton (CC BY 2.0)
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Read earlier report: PM moves to ease restaurant dine-in regulation tomorrow
