Bangkok – Bangkok city hall is now screening people traveling into the capital as part of the attempt to contain the spread of COVID-19. Road checkpoints have been set up to temperature screen drivers and passengers, with anyone having a fever being transferred to a hospital for further checks.
One of the checkpoints is on Rama II Road in Bang Khun Thian district, where motorists have their ID cards and temperatures checked and, in some cases, having their vehicle sprayed with disinfectant.
Any person found with a body temperature exceeding 37.5 degrees C will be asked to stay at the checkpoint’s waiting area for a second measurement. They will be transferred to a hospital or healthcare facility for further checks if their second reading is also high.
The checkpoint here is manned by officials from Huai Khwang, Bang Khun Thian, Chom Thong, Bang Khae and Phasi Charoen in rotating shifts, starting with the first shift from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., then the second shift from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m., and the third shift from 12 a.m. to 8 a.m.
Migrant workers from neighboring countries are not allowed to travel through the checkpoints, regardless of their current province of residence, due to the current policy forbidding the movement of migrant workers due to the high number of cases related to the migrant worker community.
If found at the checkpoint, officials will inquire about their history, check their documentation and ask their employers to come pick them up. Workers not holding documentation will be sent to the police to investigate whether they have a legal right to work and stay in Thailand.
City hall currently allows migrant workers living in Bangkok, who work as delivery drivers, to leave the city and return as part of their job. They must, however, register with city hall in advance.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration currently operates 14 road checkpoints at the capital’s borders, to screen people traveling into the city, as part of their COVID-19 containment measures. (NNT)
