Pattaya health officials hunt for Covid-19 in migrant worker camps

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Banglamung health officials and volunteers are rechecking the district’s many migrant worker camps, hunting for Covid-19.

Pattaya and Banglamung health officials and volunteers are rechecking the district’s many migrant worker camps, hunting for Covid-19.

Following the mass outbreak at a huge migrant dormitory complex in Samut Sakhon, Banglamung health chief Sompol Jittireungkiat dispatched squads of village health volunteers to the almost 40 camps around Pattaya Dec. 22.


He noted that checks are done regularly and, in previous inspections, no virus cases were found and all workers had legal status.

Nonetheless, given the current outbreak, another check was needed, he said.

There are almost 40 migrant worker camps around Pattaya.

Sompol also reassured the public that eating seafood – be it from Samut Sakhon or from Rayong, where the bulk of the Pattaya-area supply comes from, is safe. There’s no evidence the coronavirus can be passed on through food, even if handled by an infected worker.



But seafood and shellfish should be cooked thoroughly in any case, Sompol said, to prevent not only the faint chance of Covid-19 transmission, but the much greater chance of food poisoning from other bacteria or virus.

Banglamung health chief Sompol Jittireungkiat said that checks are done regularly and, in previous inspections, no virus cases were found and all workers had legal status.



Sompol also reassured the public that eating seafood – be it from Samut Sakhon or from Rayong, where the bulk of the Pattaya-area supply comes from, is safe.