Over 80 percent of Thais expected to engage in social distancing

Bangkok (VNA) – About 70 percent of Thais understand and are engaging in the "social distancing" campaign, which is a major strategy to curb the transmission of COVID-19, the latest survey conducted by Thailand’s Department of Mental Health showed.

The department conducted the survey last week among 26,000 respondents. The study's goal was to find out the appropriate measures needed to push the campaign to exceed the 80 percent milestone.

Local media quoted Kiattiphoom Vongrachit, Director-General of the department, as saying that the 80 percent benchmark is based on a research in Australia, which found that is the threshold when COVID-19 transmission potentially stops.

Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health estimated that if social distancing compliance exceeds 80 percent, the number of COVID-19 cases will reach 7,745 by April 15.

The cases will however climb to 17,635 by that date if social distancing compliance is only 50 percent. With no social distancing, the number of cases will skyrocket to 150,000 in two weeks, he said.

Kiattiphoom highlighted that social distancing is a very powerful tool to fight against COVID-19 and this weapon needs the engagement of all Thais.

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will chair a special cabinet meeting on April 3 to discuss additional stimulus measures to ease the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy. The new packages will be implemented from May to July.

On April 2, Thailand recorded 104 new cases and three deaths, bringing the total to 1,875 and 15 casualties./.