No more face masks, no more ‘distancing’.
From Saturday, the government will lift all disease prevention measures introduced in Thai schools during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Ministry of Education will rescind all restrictions put in place to prevent the spread of the virus, as Thailand downgrades Covid-19 to “a communicable disease under surveillance” from October 1. It was previously classified as “a dangerous communicable disease”.
Students will no longer be required to wear face masks while at school, nor will there be any limits on the numbers getting together for group activities. Seats will no longer have to be spaced up to 2 metres apart and there will be no legal obligation for schools to provide handwashing facilities or to carry out daily disinfection of classrooms, toilet facilities, and frequently touched surfaces.
However, the need to check temperatures prior to entering a school will remain for the time being, as will the requirement to have good air circulation in classrooms.
Temperature checks have already been abolished at several shopping malls and department stores across the country, as well as at government offices. Private businesses are still entitled to keep them at their entrances if they choose.
From October 1, the emergency decree in Thailand will also finish, as will the work of the Covid taskforce, the CCSA.
Any need for vaccine certificates or Covid testing for foreign arrivals also finishes from October 1.
SOURCE: Thai PBS World
