JUST days after Thai authorities closed off construction worker camps in Bangkok and several other provinces to curb the spread of Covid-19, authorities are looking at easing some of the restrictions.
They may now ease some of the restrictions on movement to allow essential work to proceed and also to prevent engineering problems at the construction projects.
According to the Bangkok Post, National Security Council chief Gen Natthapol Nakpanich said they would be reviewing the suspension of construction work that may pose a danger for engineering reasons or in cases such as hospital constructions.
Any work deemed essential for construction purposes may be allowed at some sites, said Gen Natthapol, who also heads the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) operations centre.
Authorities had announced a 30 day closure of the camps and workers are barred from leaving the sites.
The military and police have been mobilised to ensure the workers do not try to leave the camps.
Gen Natthapol said the CCSA operations centre would also assess the Covid-19 situation in the country every 15 days to see how the restrictions can be eased.
He said although authorities made a 1am announcement on Sunday of the new restrictions in Bangkok and five surrounding provinces, Gen Natthapol insisted it was appropriate.
The CCSA's operations centre met on Friday and continued the meeting on Saturday.
The new restrictions were then drafted and forwarded to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha for endorsement at 9pm that night.
Gen Natthapol said this showed they had worked around the clock to issue the announcement as soon as possible.
The centre has been criticised for issuing the new restrictions at a time that did not allow restaurants enough time to prepare for the changes.
The new measures include a ban on restaurant dine-in in Bangkok and in Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon and Nakhon Pathom provinces.
CCSA was also criticised for announcing the closure of the construction camps and sites long before implementing it from 4pm on Monday as it resulted in workers fleeing the camps.
Gen Natthapol said the issuing of Covid-19 restrictions had to be done carefully and needed to be screened by the Public Health Ministry, the Interior Ministry and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's public works and, town and country planning department, among others.
He added that the CCSA had earlier held talks with construction associations and Thai restaurant operators regarding the new restrictions and explained the Covid-19 situation to them before the announcement was made.