Thailand's Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) announced on 24 December that there will be no national lockdown but COVID-19 control zoning is being imposed, based on the number and degree of new cases in localities.

Workers continue to clean the Central Shrimp Market in Samut Sakhon province, which has been declared a red zone, for maximum COVID-19 control (Photo:https://www.bangkokpost.com/)

CCSA spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin said there are four zones for COVID-19 control measures now being applied to provinces, including red zone: maximum control, considerable number of COVID-19 cases; orange zone: control zone, more than 10 cases and rising; yellow zone: high surveillance, with no more than 10 cases and control possible; and green zone: surveillance, with no cases or likelihood of infection.

The red zone presently covers only Samut Sakhon province, the epicentre of the latest COVID-19 outbreak, he said.

In this zone, infected and at-risk people as well as at-risk businesses and activities are quickly identified. Infected people are admitted to a field hospital and at-risk people are quarantined.

The control zone (orange) covers provinces surrounding Samut Sakhon - Bangkok, Samut Songkhram, Ratchaburi and Nakhon Pathom.

The high surveillance zone (yellow) comprises 25 provinces. Meanwhile, the surveillance zone (green) applies to provinces without an infected case.

New Year celebrations are banned in the maximum control zone, unless entirely online. Parties can be held in the control zone, on the condition the number of  attendees is limited, Taweesilp said.

Celebrations can be organised in the two other zones, but must be downsized and no crowded gatherings allowed.

The zone control designations of the various provinces could change,  depending on the situation there, he added.

Thailand recorded 67 more COVID-19 cases in 24 December, including 58 community infections. The country has so far counted 5,829 COVID-19 patients, including 60 deaths.

In Indonesia, 7,199 new cases have been reported on the day, lifting the country’s total to 692,838.

The number of fatalities also increased by 181, bringing the death toll to 20,589.

The disease has spread to all 34 provinces and cities nationwide. Indonesia is the country most affected by the pandemic in Southeast Asia.

Source: VNA