The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has reported that COVID-19 patients on Thursday allegedly withheld details of their travel histories. City hall spokesman said more investigations are underway, while the patients could face prosecution if proven to have provided false information.
The BMA’s spokesman, Pol Capt Pongsakorn Kwanmuang, said, during a live Facebook broadcast, that the travel timelines of 2 patients conflict with their statements to disease control officials.
According to city hall, the two patients informed disease control officials they had not left their houses between 10th and 21st January, however there is now information that they actually visited several places between these dates.
The spokesman said more investigations are underway into these two cases, as well as the birthday party of a DJ which has lead to a new cluster.
He said officials are now investigating how many people actually attended the party by checking CCTV footage and whether the venue violated the closing hour requirement.
Pol Capt Pongsakorn said information provided by the BMA to the general public on the patients’ timelines is intended to help prevent further spread of the disease, with personal information of the patients well protected.
He said patients can opt not to disclose their relationships to other people, but will need to disclose their travel history, while stressing that withholding information or providing false information to disease control officials are offenses punishable by law. (NNT)
