16 more provinces to enter ‘dark red’ zone as number of COVID-19 cases surge in Thailand: CCSA

With the ‘dark red’ zone label, social and economic restrictions are imposed on residents in provinces such as Ang Thong, Nakhon Nayok, and Kanchanaburi that enforces them to stay at home from 9pm to 4am, the next day.

As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to increase, Thailand’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), on Monday (2 August), declared that 16 more provinces are to be classified as ‘dark red’ zones from 3 August to 18 August 2021, at least – taking the total number of ‘dark red’ provinces from 13 to 29, which “covers 40% of the whole country.”

“The measures will be in effect from Tuesday, 3 August 2021 onwards. The government will evaluate the situation in 14 days, if the situation is not better, these measures may be extended until the end of August,” CCSA’s spokesperson explained on Sunday (1 August 2021).

According to CCSA’s statement, the Thai provinces now in the dark-red zone are:

1. Ang Thong
2. Nakhon Nayok
3. Nakhon Ratchasima
4. Kanchanaburi
5. Lop Buri
6. Phetchabun
7. Phetchaburi
8. Prachuap Khiri Khan
9. Prachin Buri
10. Ratchaburi
11. Rayong
12. Samut Songkhram
13. Saraburi
14. Sing Buri
15. Suphan Buri, and
16. Tak

This move, CCSA’s spokeswoman Dr Apisamai Srirangsan explained, is “because of surging new cases, with new clusters in factories hampering industry and exports.” And based on The Thaiger’s report, as of 3 August 2021, while the number of provinces in ‘dark red’ zone is at 29; those in ‘red’ and ‘orange’ zone is at 37 and 11 respectively. In total, there are 77 Thai provinces imposed with some form of social and economic restrictions.

For the unacquainted, as explained in The Thaiger, some key differences between ‘dark red’, ‘red’, and ‘orange’ zone lies in the restrictions in interprovincial travel, gatherings, and dining-in.

For instance, residents in ‘dark red’ zones are not allowed do interprovincial travel, and are required to stay at home from 9pm to 4am. In addition, any gathering is limited to five heads. Restaurants can open for business until 8pm, and only offer takeaway services as dine-ins are prohibited.

For those in ‘red’ zones, however, interprovincial travel is allowed, but subjected to screening at checkpoints. They are also without a 9pm-to-4am stay-at-home curfew. Gatherings aren’t limited to five heads, but 20. Meanwhile, restaurants are allowed to offer dine-in services until 11pm, but not allowed to sell alcohol.

As for ‘orange’ zone, residents and their way of living aren’t affected much, as they are allowed to do interprovincial travel and dine-in at restaurants, to name a few allowed activities.

According to CCSA’s statistics, as of 2 August 2021, the total number of COVID-19 cases is at 633,284 – with 17,970 new cases.

Related news: As Thailand further tightens COVID-19 restrictions, a budget of 13,500mn Baht approved to help workers

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