(April 24, 2021) At Bangkok City Hall, Pol.Gen. Aswin Kwanmuang, Governor of Bangkok, chaired the BMA Communicable Diseases Committee Meeting, No. 10/2021, participated by committee members, executives of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), and all relevant BMA organizations and agencies.
Pol.Capt. Pongsakorn Kwanmuang, BMA Spokesman, revealed after the meeting that the meeting resolved to intensify COVID-19 control measures. Currently, to some extent, the people have practiced social or physical distancing measure; however, the cause of COVID-19 infection at present comes from the infected persons who still live together with their family members due to the management of hospital beds and transportation services for patients. According to the disease investigation conducted by the BMA Health Department, sources of COVID-19 infection include workplaces (public sector, state enterprises, and private sector), get-togethers and parties, having meals together with other people, infection among family members, mingling/group gathering/no social distancing, doing any activities/businesses, and gathering of the elderly persons. It is still unable to control the situation.
Therefore, the BMA Communicable Diseases Committee resolved to order the temporary closure of the following premises:
- Cinemas, theatres, and playhouses;
- Water parks, amusement parks;
- Zoos;
- Skating rinks or rollerblading arenas or similar activities;
- Snooker and billiards halls;
- Bowling alleys or game machine arcades;
- Gaming centers and internet cafes;
- Public swimming pools or other similar businesses;
- Fitness centers;
- Exhibition halls, trade fair centers and convention centers;
- Museums (national museums, local museums, and other similar museums);
- Public libraries, community libraries, private libraries, and book houses;
- Nurseries (except nurseries in the hospitals);
- Elderly care centers (except admission for overnight stay as regularity);
- Boxing stadiums and boxing training venues;
- Martial arts schools (gyms);
- Premises for tattooing or piercing of skin or any parts of the body;
- Social/ballroom dance schools or academies;
- Horse racing courses;
- Amulet and Buddha statues trading markets and centers;
- Premises provided weight control service, beauty clinics, beauty parlors, and medical aesthetic clinics;
- Health establishments (spa, health massage, and beauty massage shops), establishments for Thai traditional massage and foot massage;
- All types of competition venues and fields;
- Premises for performing arts, places for public performances and entertainment;
- Premises provided services of meeting rooms, banquet halls or venues, and other similar premises;
- Shopping malls, department stores, shopping centers and community malls can open during 11.00 – 21.00 hrs. and refrain from having all sales promotion activities; restaurants inside the premises must arrange seating with 2 meters physical distancing, if unable to do so, partitions must be installed;
- Beauty salons and barber shops with hair dressing or cutting service can be opened for shampooing, cutting, layering/thinning, and hair dressing/styling, and service users waiting for the service in shops are not allowed;
- All types of sport arenas and stadiums (competitions and matches/games are not allowed);
- Public parks, fields, areas for public activities, places for exercises, sport venues and fields;
- Convenience stores can open from 05.00 hrs. to 22.00 hrs.; and
- Parties, camping, TV program or movie production, religious activities, meditation practices, and relatives’ gatherings with over 20 persons are prohibited.
All these measures shall take effect from Monday April 26, 2021 to May 9, 2021, totaling 14 days or until further notice.
Moreover, restaurants located outside shopping malls, department stores, shopping centers and community malls can open for dine-in service until 21.00 hrs., and then takeaway service for food and beverage shall be provided until 23.00 hrs. Seating must be arranged to have physical distancing of at least 2 meters. If unable to do so, partitions must be installed.
The BMA requests for kind cooperation from the general public to strictly and correctly use surgical or fabric face masks while going out in public places and staying in air-conditioned room. Violation will lead to punishment under the law. Moreover, the BMA will increase efficiency in transporting patients by integrating transportation services of all BMA organizations and add more channels and call lines of 1669 hotline. However, the general public can be assured that the BMA will expedite its operation to ensure safety of everyone.
