As Thais leave Bangkok for home, worry of greater COVID-19 spread follows

CCTV image of passengers awaiting buses Sunday morning at the Mo Chit terminal in Bangkok. Source: Ittipat Pinrarod / Twitter
CCTV image of passengers awaiting buses Sunday morning at the Mo Chit terminal in Bangkok. Source: Ittipat Pinrarod / Twitter

Health officials around Thailand today are preparing for an influx of workers returning home from the capital.

Starting today, local health offices in all locales are under orders to track Thais returning home from Bangkok, many of whom began streaming home after most of the capital’s businesses were ordered closed yesterday.

With the closure of malls, bars, massage parlors and more, the service sector was hit particularly hard, and much of its workforce is drawn from the outlying provinces. Though warnings were issued discouraging people from traveling, many have made the journey home, filling bus stations and other transit points.

What’s closed in Bangkok due to the coronavirus outbreak (Updated)

While the coronavirus outbreak had been concentrated in Bangkok, it has now been detected in more than two dozen provinces in all regions of the kingdom.

The Disease Control Department yesterday ordered local health officials, starting today, to track all people returning home in a database. In a written order distributed nationwide and signed by department Director-General Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai, they were also asked to enlist volunteers to monitor those who might be ill.

Thailand’s tally of new coronavirus reports hit another high today with 188 cases announced.

Since it became the first nation outside of China to detect the virus, officials have now announced 599 infections. Nearly nine in 10 of those have been announced in the past week. Prior to one week ago, the public was told only 82 people had become ill, with one fatality.

Related:

With another 188, Thai COVID-19 cases continue exponential growth

What’s closed in Bangkok due to the coronavirus outbreak (Updated)

Bars throughout Thonglor, epicenter of infections, skirt shutdown order

Bangkok orders malls, markets closed as 89 new COVID-19 cases reported

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