The private sector proposed its plan to reopen to the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Monday, as the government is in discussion to relax its nationwide lockdown.
If the plan is accepted, businesses which have been deemed low to mid-level risks, such as street vendors, flea markets, hairdressers, clinics, and swimming pools, will be allowed to open first.
Other businesses with high level risks, such as gaming shops, movie theaters, massage parlors, sport stadiums, bars and boxing centers, will continue to stay closed.
The deadline to extend the State of Emergency (SOE) is on Tuesday. According to the constitution, the SOE, which will expire on April 30, could be extended by another two months.
The CCSA has asked businesses to propose plans to reopen in order to find out what kind of social distancing and sanitization measures need to be imposed and who can reopen first.
If approved, businesses that are considered low to mid-level risks could reopen from May 1 onwards as proposed but the CCSA has yet to confirm a date.
However, these businesses will not reopen in provinces that have a high risk of infection. The CCSA is still deciding on which provinces will be allowed to reopen.
According to earlier reports from the Ministry of Health, only provinces that have reported no new cases in the past 14 days, which could be as little as 32 provinces in total.
The proposed plan
Businesses are grouped into four colored groups (white, green, yellow and red) in accordance to their level of risk:
White = Businesses that could reopen without having to file for an online reopen approval from the CCSA. However, they must adhere to the new basic health and safety guideline.
Green = Businesses with low risk that could file for approval and the new health and safety handbook.
Yellow = Businesses with medium risk that could file for approval and the handbook but they must be inspected by a local administration, such as the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.
Red = Businesses with high risk that have not been allowed to reopen until there is scientific evidence that it is safe enough to do so.
Examples of these businesses in each colored categories:
White:
- Street vendors
Green:
- Small businesses with air condition but without physical contact (book stores, clothing shops, general stores and construction material stores)
Yellow:
- A gathering of small vendors (fresh markets, flea markets, and food centers)
- Large businesses (department stores, modern trade and community malls)
- Small businesses with air condition and physical contact (hairdressers, beauty and medical clinics, and dentists)
- Sport complexes with open air (badminton courts and swimming pools)
Red:
- Small businesses with air condition that involves sitting in one place for a long time (gaming and internet shops)
- Other businesses that involve people sitting in one place for more than 1-2 hours (movie theaters and massage parlors)
- Businesses that involve a large gathering of people in an enclose space (exhibition centers, convention centers and banquet halls)
- Businesses that encourage people to commute (tutorial schools)
- Businesses that involve a large gathering of people in an open space (sport stadium)
- Businesses that have proven to be hotspots for the spread of the coronavirus (bars, boxing centers and air-conditioned sport complexes)
