The Cabinet, during its meeting on 23 February 2021, approved the extension period of the enforcement of the Declaration of an Emergency Situation in all areas of the Kingdom, under the Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations B.E. 2548 (2005), effective from 1 to 31 March 2021.
The extension, which is the 10th time, is intended to contain local COVID-19 transmission in Thailand. The Cabinet had earlier extended the enforcement of the declaration from 16 January to 28 February 2021, as approved by the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).
It was informed of the necessity to extend the emergency situation declaration, since the COVID-19 situation remains severe in many parts of the world. A set of mutations was also reported to have caused new strains of the COVID-19 virus in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Nigeria. It is, therefore, uncertain that current vaccines will be effective against the new variants.
Moreover, the spread of COVID-19 infections in Thailand’s neighboring countries is still worrisome. The recent coup d’état in Myanmar and the rallies of Myanmar people to protest against their government might lead to the illegal entry of many Myanmar people to Thailand in the future. Political gatherings in Thailand might also pose a risk of people spreading the COVID-19 virus.
There are still confirmed cases in several provinces, where close surveillances are needed to prevent clusters from spreading the disease around the country.
The extension of the emergency situation declaration will empower authorities to implement necessary measures to effectively prevent the transmission of COVID-19 and screen people entering the kingdom for the sake of national stability and public safety.
This article is from PR Thai Government