Bangkok – The current COVID-19 outbreak in Thailand started with the discovery of a large cluster linked to a migrant worker community. The Social Security Office has now approved a new guideline, allowing workers to receive proactive COVID-19 screening, which requires only 3 hours of waiting time to receive their results.
The Social Security Office’s (SSO) physician committee has announced a new set of criteria and service fees for COVID-19 screening, allowing all workers enrolled in the Social Security system to have better access to proactive medical services for COVID-19.
This new guideline specifically targets the workforce in provinces declared as highest control areas by the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration.
The Minister of Labour, Suchart Chomklin, said that Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed the Ministry of Labour to work with related agencies to facilitate active COVID-19 case finding operations, as well as other outbreak containment operations, to minimize the consequences to the country’s economy and public health.
With the new SSO’s guideline effective today, provincial communicable diseases committees in the Red Zones, including Bangkok, will have to actively engage with companies and workplaces to provide COVID-19 screening of the employees.
It will take 3-4 hours for the results to be available. Anyone testing positive for COVID-19 will immediately enter the treatment program as determined by the Ministry of Public Health. (NNT)
