BANGKOK (Bernama): Thailand has intensified screening measures for travellers arriving from high-risk areas after designating the Congo and Uganda as dangerous communicable disease zones for Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), effective May 21.
Deputy Government Spokesperson Lalida Persvivatana said the designation was published in the Royal Gazette on May 20 under a Ministry of Public Health notification regarding dangerous communicable disease zones outside the Kingdom.
According to Lalida, the Ministry of Public Health, through the Department of Disease Control, has tightened screening procedures for travellers arriving from high-risk countries at international checkpoints nationwide.
Under the measures, she said travellers from outbreak areas are required to pre-register their information through the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) system for foreign nationals and the Thai Health Pass system for Thai nationals.
"Authorities will also conduct temperature checks, symptom screening, health history assessments, and monitor travellers for symptoms over a 21-day period," she said in a statement on Friday.
Lalida said the move followed close monitoring of the Ebola situation by the World Health Organisation (WHO) amid concerns over cross-border transmission.
"The government has instructed all relevant agencies to intensify surveillance and closely monitor the situation in order to maintain public confidence in Thailand’s public health system,” she said.
Lalida said the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has coordinated with the Ministry of Public Health, airlines and related agencies to strengthen public health measures in the aviation sector, including issuing pre-travel health advisories, screening passengers at departure points, verifying health registration records and assessing suspected symptoms.
"CAAT will also support disease control officers with passenger information to facilitate timely disease monitoring and surveillance,” she said.
Lalida said authorities have also rehearsed emergency response procedures in the event suspected Ebola cases are detected either on board aircraft or after travellers arrive in Thailand.
She said the government remained confident in the readiness of Thailand’s healthcare system to monitor, prevent and control dangerous communicable diseases.
"The public is advised to follow information issued by government agencies and strictly comply with public health recommendations without panic,” she said. -- BERNAMA
