Royal Gazette announces to downgrade Covid-19 to ‘communicable disease under surveillance’ effective Oct 1st

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Thailand is set to downgrade Covid-19 from its designation as a “dangerous communicable disease” down to “communicable disease under surveillance” by October 1, the Royal Gazette announced.

It will also be removed from a list of prohibited diseases for foreigners entering or having residency in Thailand.

Government deputy spokeswoman Trisuree Trisoranakul said the announcement is being made as the global Covid-19 outbreak situation is deescalating with lowered number of severe cases and related deaths.

There are also “enough” vaccines available in the country while the vaccination rate is “high”, she said.

Thailand’s official number for daily Covid-19 cases was 1,129 on Wednesday. However, only Covid patients that have been admitted to hospitals were being counted.

A total of 8,371 Covid patients were being treated at hospitals, including 598 patients with pneumonitis.

At least 57.3 million people have received their first dose as of September 19, accounting for 82.4% of the eligible population.

At least 32.1 million have received their third dose, or 46.1% of the eligible population.

“After Covid is declared a communicable disease under surveillance, there will be clear legal guidelines and procedures for healthcare and medical operations and the public will be informed about them,” she said.

“The goal is to safety live with Covid and these guidelines and procedures will be discussed at the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s meeting on September 23,” she said.

As Covid-19 is begin declared as “communicable disease under surveillance”, Trisuree said the Cabinet also decided on Tuesday to remove the disease from the list of prohibited diseases prescribed under Sections 12 (4) and 44 (2) of the Immigration Act.

The draft Interior Ministerial Regulation prescribing prohibited diseases for foreigners entering the Kingdom or having residency here will take effect the day after it is announced in the Royal Gazette.

Other prohibited diseases that are still on the list of prohibited diseases for foreigners entering Thailand include:

  • Leprosy
  • TB at dangerous stage
  • Lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis)
  • Drug addiction
  • Alcoholism
  • Stage-3 syphilis

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