Public Places Ban Proposed for Thailand’s Unvaccinated

Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health said it will ask the Prime Minister to introduce compulsory measures to force unvaccinated people to get their Covid shots.

The move aims to meet the Government of Thailand having administered 100 million doses this year before the end of November, according to Dr. Sopon Mekthon, assistant to the public health minister and chairman of the government’s sub-committee on Covid-19 vaccine management.

He said far the Thai government has provided about 85 million doses of the covid-19 vaccine. Leaving 15 million covid-19 doses shy of their target. The Health Department plans to introduce compulsory measures on the unvaccinated to help shore up the campaign. Only allowing vaccinated people to access public places.

If these measures are approved, Thailand’s Department of Disease Control will iron out the details, Dr. Sopon said.

Perks for the Unvaccinated

Meanwhile, other government authorities have proposed incentives for the unvaccinated to boost vaccination rates. The Transport Ministry is said to be planning to offer a 20% discount on fares for vaccinated passengers. Furthermore, public health centers in some provinces are also offering lucky draws to encourage the unvaccinated to get vaccinated.

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Wednesday said getting vaccinated is a social responsibility to create a safe environment for all of Thailand.

“Society will define its own rules on whether to allow unvaccinated people to enter premises,” he said.

Mr. Anutin also said the ministry of health was also focused on stepping up vaccinations, including arranging mobile units for the elderly and bedridden in remote areas.

Health Ministry announced this morning there were 6,901 new Covid-19 cases and 55 more covid-19 deaths recorded in the last 24 hours. The number of new covid-19 cases rose from 6,524 announced on Wednesday. On Wednesday Thailand’s health officials recorded 56 more deaths.

Since April 1, Thailand has treated 2,015,262 Covid-19 patients, 1,905,773 of whom have recovered to date. The death toll stands at 20,254 since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

Source: Bangkok Post, Ministry of Health