Thailand: Food factory converted into quarantine facility in Samut Sakhon

Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand has for the first time put into operation a COVID-19 quarantine facility which was converted from a factory of the Pattaya Food Group.

According to the government’s COVID-19 task force, the factory, which was used to manufacture canned foods under the Nautilus brand,  is now a 600-patient bed quarantine facility. It is divided into three zones: a green zone is the reception area, a yellow zone is where medical professionals are stationed and where they will change their clothes, and a red zone will house infected persons.

Thai health authorities will speed up COVID-19 tests for more than 35,000 workers at 400 factories in Samut Sakhon by January 24. Samut Sakhon houses a large number of plants and migrant workers, most of whom come from Myanmar.

Provincial chief public health officer Naretrit Khatthasima said the province's efforts are being bolstered by medical teams from across the country who have been sent to work there, adding the outbreak in Samut Sakhon has been contained as a result of active case finding and proactive screening in the province.

Deputy governor Surasak Pholyangsong said the province is scheduled to open its fourth field hospital in tambon Nadee on January 15.

He said the facility, which is formally known as Samut Sakhon's care centre, has 350 beds to accommodate COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms.

To date, the outbreak in Samut Sakhon has spread to more than 50 provinces and cities across the nation.

The Southeast Asian country documented 271 new COVID-19 infections on January 14, bringing its total COVID-19 cases to 11,262. Sixty-nine people died of the novel coronavirus./.