Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha said on Tuesday that the government is preparing to ease up on some lockdown measures amid the declining number of new coronavirus cases but the government is still on high alert.
The official decision on the lifting or the extending of the State of Emergency (SOE) will be made after the cabinet meeting next Tuesday (May 28).
“This cannot be done hastily,” he said after today’s cabinet meeting. “We have to be extremely careful and we have to listen to medical information and the doctors and make sure that we have enough preventive measures in place first.”
He said the number of people who were breaking the SOE’s orders has continued to increase so he urged people to comply with the orders in order to prevent a second wave of infection.
“I have never said that [the SOE] will be lifted on May 1,” he said. “We are still considering it and businesses have to propose what they are going to do in terms of preparation for their reopening,” he added.
He said this should include the disinfection of the stores, testing of staff, limitation of the number of people in the store and other social distancing measures.
The prime minister said he would not bow to pressure to open the country early and will listen to his healthcare advisors.
Electricity bill
One of the measures to help people stay and work from home is for the Ministry of Energy to reduce the electricity bill for 22 million households worth 23.69 billion baht.
The measures include free electricity for 10 million households with 5 ampere electrical meter at no more than 150 units per month. This group of household was already receiving free electricity up to 90 units but the ceiling will now be increased to 150 units.