Migrant workers banned from entering or leaving Phuket

Governor Narong explained in the order, issued yesterday (Dec 23) and announced after 8pm last night, that as the outbreak of COVID-19 in Samut Sakhon and other provinces posed a threat to health of people on the island, the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) had ordered all provincial governments to strictly control the movement of people in each province.  

As such, to increase the measures to protect and control the COVID-19 virus outbreak the Phuket Communicable Disease Committee had agreed to issue the following order: 

1. Moving migrant workers in and out of Phuket is prohibited. 

2. All employers and operators must follow the measures as follows: 

2.1 Check body temperatures of migrant workers. If any person is found with symptoms such as coughing and difficulty breathing, please let him or her stop work and inform officers of the Phuket Public Health Office (PPHO) as soon as possible. 

2.2 Arrange for alcohol-based sanitiser for washing hands [to be available] in front of the workplace and toilets. 

2.3 All migrant workers must wear face masks and gloves and maintain a social distance of two metres while working. Equipment must be cleaned often.

2.4 Provide [workers with] basic information about the COVID-19 virus and how to protect themselves from infection. 

Failure to comply with the order may be punished under Section 51 of Disease Control Act 2015, which incurs a fine of up to B20,000, the order noted.

Those found breaching the order will also be charged under Section 18 of the Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations B.E. 2548 (2005), the order warned.

The order was marked to come into effect yesterday (Dec 23) and will remain in effect until further notice, the order explained.