Illustration from The Nation Thailand/ANN.
BANGKOK, May 20 (The Nation Thailand/ANN): The Public Health Ministry will on Friday propose new Covid-19 zoning that reclassifies some provinces as “green zones” where restrictions can be lifted.
Ministry permanent secretary Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit said the new colour-coded zoning system will allow people in low-risk provinces to live their lives as normally as possible now that the Covid-19 situation is steadily improving
The move will add low-risk “green zones” to the current two-tier system of yellow zones (highest surveillance) and blue zones (tourism pilot provinces).
Green-zone provinces (low surveillance) will be allowed to lift restrictions on public activities – likely including pubs and entertainment venues.
The new zoning will be proposed at Friday’s meeting of Centre for Covid-19 Situation. Administration (CCSA).
The lifting of restrictions in green-zone provinces would be another step towards declaring Covid-19 endemic, which the government plans to do in July.
Currently, 65 provinces are in the high-surveillance yellow zone while the remaining 12 are blue-zone tourism provinces.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Health reported on Friday (May 20) that in the past 24 hours there are 6,463 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19, one of whom has arrived in Thailand from abroad.
Death toll increased by 41, while 7,091 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.
Cumulative cases in the country since January 1, 2022 are at 2,177,943.
The country’s total caseload from Covid-19 stands at 4,401,378 – 4,312,790 of whom have recovered, 58,910 are still in hospitals and 29,678 have died.
Separately, another 16,953 people were given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, 65,464 their second shot and 88,103 a booster, bringing the total number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered nationwide to 136,063,940.
According to Worldometer, confirmed cases globally had risen to 525.91 million on Friday, 495.72 million of whom have recovered, 23.9 million are active cases (38,428 in severe condition) and 6.3 million have died (up by 1,763).
Thailand ranks 24th in the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 84.8 million, followed by India with 43.13 million, Brazil with 30.75 million, France with 29.29 million and Germany with 26.01 million.
