Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Bangkok Post
Bangkok Post
National

Chadchart wants mask rule eased

Chadchart Sittipunt enters City Hall to official take office as the new Bangkok governor on Wednesday. (Photo: Chanat Katanyu)  

Bangkok plans to authorise the removal of face masks as soon as possible if approved by local health and medical bodies, city governor Chadchart Sittipunt said on Thursday.

His remarks came after Phuket relaxed its face mask-wearing mandate and other related Covid-19 measures.

The health and medical departments will be consulted on the matter, Mr Chadchart said, adding he believed it is time to move forward and focus on reviving the economy.

"Bangkok's Covid-19 situation appears to be not much different from that of Phuket, so we will base the decision on the face mask-wearing mandate mainly on medical facts and data rather than feelings," he said. "A decision will be made as soon as possible."

More discussions will be held on extending the closing time of night entertainment venues in the capital, he added.

As of Wednesday, night venues in 14 green-zone and 17 blue-zone provinces have been allowed to remain open and serve alcohol until midnight, said the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).

In the CCSA's colour-coded Covid-19 zoning, green zones indicate the situation is stable whereas businesses in blue zones are freer to promote tourism-related activities.

Phuket, one of the blue zones, has become the first province to officially allow people to take off face masks when they are in open public spaces provided they keep a distance of at least 2 metres from other people, such as at the beach or in a public park.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.