Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said harsher disease control measures may be imposed if existing ones fail to control the latest wave of COVID-19.
Inspecting a new field hospital at Bangkok Arena in Nong Chok district, Gen Prayut said he was satisfied with the new facility which raised the overall number of beds at field hospitals in the capital to 3,000.
Field hospitals serve asymptomatic COVID-19 cases who must observe 14-day quarantine while symptomatic patients must be treated at conventional hospitals.
The prime minister said that the government was asking hoteliers to turn their premises into hospitels and it would pay for the operation which would also maintain employment.
Gen Prayut said that the government was capable of COVID-19 control and a curfew would be unnecessary if the situation remained stable. A curfew would otherwise affect people with low income, he said.
“If the situation escalates, harsher measures will be necessary. No one wants that. I sympathize with low-income earners,” the prime minister said. (TNA)
