The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration decided on Friday to allow the reopening of eateries, some shops at malls, stadiums and public parks in dark-red zones on Sept 1, with strict disease controls.
“We must adapt to coexist safely with the disease.
Strategies will change in the way that disease controls will go along with economic recovery… Business and activities will resume so that people can restore their normal life and relieve their hardship as much as possible,” CCSA assistant spokeswoman Apisamai Srirangson said.
To reopen on Wednesday business premises, including restaurants, must maximise their disease control measures, with social distancing and good ventilation, and ensure that management, staff and customers are fully vaccinated or have negative results from weekly Covid-19 antigen tests.
Provincial communicable disease committees will approve the reopening of business premises which meet the criteria, Dr Apisamai said.
Convid-19 control zoning will remain the same. Dark-red zones of maximum and strict controls would still apply to 29 provinces where there were widespread Covid-19 outbreaks in communities, markets, business premises, factories, construction camps and dormitories, and Covid-19 fatalities continued, she said.
Red zone of maximum control would still apply to 37 provinces, and orange zones of disease control to 11 other provinces.
In the 29 dark-red zones, eateries can reopen. Open-air places can use 75% of seating, and 50% for air-conditioned premises.
At shopping centres, hairdressers can reopen only for hair cutting and only in one-hour sessions by appointment. Massage parlours can reopen only for foot massage. Beauty clinics can reopen only for product sales. Their closing time was set at 8pm
The followng will remain closed – tuition centres, theatres, spas, amusement and water parks, fitness clubs, swimming pools and meeting rooms.
Outside shopping centres, hairdressers and massage parlours can open as before.
Schools will remain closed, but their buildings can be used for other purposes including examinations, with approval from local education and disease control authorities on a case-by-case basis.
Stadiums without air-conditioning and public parks can reopen. Sports events at such stadiums can be organised but without spectators. Sports facilities can open until 8pm.
The work from home recommendation and 9pm-4am curfew will continue in the 29 dark-red provinces.
The CCSA asked people to minimise interprovincial travel, Dr Apisamai said. Public transport vehicles can use 75% of seating. Passengers and crew must wear face masks and must not eat.
Long-distance buses and vans must stop every 2-3 hours and ventilate their cabins.
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