Thailand warns of COVID-19 spread on Lunar New Year
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry is concerned about possible COVID-19 transmission risks when families reunite to celebrate the upcoming Lunar New Year this week.
People shop for the Lunar New Year festival in Thailand (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)
Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand’s Public HealthMinistry is concerned about possible COVID-19 transmission risks when familiesreunite to celebrate the upcoming Lunar New Year this week.
Chawetsan Namwat, director of the country’s emergencydisease and health hazards control division under the Department of DiseaseControl, stressed the importance of strict social distancing during familygatherings.
The public would still have to comply with disease controlmeasures until herd immunity is acquired, he said, adding that activecase-finding would continue even though the number of COVID-19 cases has begunto drop.
Thailand’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration(CCSA) on February 7 reported a total of 237 new cases, bringing the nationaltally up to 23,371. Of the infections, 112 were detected from activecase-finding in communities, 113 others were confirmed by hospitals, and 12imported.
Meanwhile, in Malaysia, family reunion dinners for Lunar NewYear eve (February 11) are now permitted, as a result of a National SecurityCouncil technical meeting chaired by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail SabriYaakob on February 7.
In a statement on the same day, the country’s National UnityMinistry said the gatherings ought to be limited to 15 family members livingwithin a 10km radius and must not involve interstate or inter-district travel.
Also on February 7, Malaysia posted 3,731 new COVID-19 casesand 15 deaths from the disease. The number of positive cases nationwide stoodat 51,241, creating a high pressure on the local medical system./.
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Trade between Thailand and Myanmar resumed in Thailand’s Kanchanaburi province on February 3 after Thai authorities temporarily eased COVID-19 restriction measures for two days.
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People shop for the Lunar New Year festival in Thailand (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) 
