The Thai government has decided to remove South Korea as well as China, including its special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau, from its list of Disease Infected Zones for COVID-19 as it further relaxes measures against the outbreak by allowing more businesses, including shopping malls, to open tomorrow, the Bangkok Post reported today.
China and South Korea had been on the Thai Public Health Ministry list since March 6 when the situation was still highly volatile, just before Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha declared a state of emergency. Anyone coming from the countries on the list needed to undergo 14 days of state quarantine, the report pointed out.
"Now, with the virus reported to have been well contained in the two countries, we have agreed to issue a new announcement to de-list them," Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Friday, according to the Bangkok Post
However, the newspaper said tonight in another report that the Thai government earlier today "has extended its ban on passenger flights for another month to June 30, citing the need to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus disease.
According to the report, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand issued the announcement on its website yesterday to extend the ban from May 31.
"No passenger flights originating outside the country may land at Thai airports until June 30. The exceptions are state or military aircraft, emergency or technical landing, humanitarian aid, medicine and relief flights, repatriation and cargo aircraft," the report said.
Bangkok's famed shopping malls, including Siam Paragon, MBK and Central World, will open tomorrow, the report pointed out.
Thailand is one of Macau residents' most popular tourist destinations, Bangkok in particular.
