The Thai Cabinet has approved a draft amendment to the 2015 Communicable Disease Act, to replace the emergency decree from next month, in Thailand’s ongoing battle against COVID-19.
Deputy government spokesperson Ratchada Dhnadirek said the Communicable Diseases Act will be used to manage the pandemic once the emergency decree expires at the end of this month. The amendment is aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of disease control and accelerating attempts to contain a serious new outbreak.
She said, under the newly amended law, the management of public health emergencies will be separated from that of any other serious emergencies, emerging or re-emerging, adding that the approved draft amendment does not grant amnesty to policymakers, as feared by some observers.
Ms. Ratchada said the amendment is only aimed at better protecting healthcare workers and other parties who are assigned to work under the amended law. These parties, including health volunteers, rescue workers and other workers handling COVID-19 patients, will be freed from liability if it is proved they work honestly. (NNT)
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