Thailand’s main airport installs coronavirus lab ahead of international travel restart

Record ID: 1560608

  • Title: Thailand’s main airport installs coronavirus lab ahead of international travel restart
  • Date: 3rd July 2020
  • Summary: SAMUT PRAKAN, THAILAND (JULY 3, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MEDICAL STAFF SHOWING CORONAVIRUS TEST PROCEDURES SIGN READING (English): "DETECTION AREA" DIRECTOR OF PORT HEALTH DIVISION (RIGHT) ARRIVING AT MEDIA CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Thai) DIRECTOR OF PORT HEALTH DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF DISEASES CONTROL, SUWICH THANMAPALO, SAYING: "Our fast-tracked group of passengers are separated into two groups. The first one is diplomats, government guests and representatives from foreign countries who have a clear itinerary and short stay. The other group is business travellers." ARRIVAL GATE POLICE STANDING SIGN READING (English/Thai/Chinese): "IMMIGRATION" (SOUNDBITE) (Thai) DIRECTOR OF PORT HEALTH DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF DISEASES CONTROL, SUWICH THANMAPALO, SAYING: "These two groups will be exempted from state quarantine, but they are required to travel with a specific itinerary and medical staff all of the time. They are also not allowed to use public transportation." VARIOUS OF AIRPORT SECURITY WALKING BETWEEN EMPTY SEATS SOCIAL DISTANCING SIGNAGE ON SEATS (SOUNDBITE) (Thai) DIRECTOR OF PORT HEALTH DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF DISEASES CONTROL, SUWICH THANMAPALO, SAYING: "The test itself takes around an hour and a half. With a little bit of other procedures, it will take less than two hours." VARIOUS OF PARKED PLANES (SOUNDBITE) (Thai) DIRECTOR OF PORT HEALTH DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF DISEASES CONTROL, SUWICH THANMAPALO, SAYING: "The country is slowly opening up with these two groups. Soon, we (government) will use the same test procedures with tourists." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING INSIDE AIRPORT FLIGHT BOARD VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING INSIDE AIRPORT VARIOUS OF AIRPORT
  • Embargoed: 17th July 2020 09:00
  • Keywords: COVID-19 Thailand airport coronavirus disease flight health quarantine
  • Location: SAMUT PRAKAN, THAILAND
  • City: SAMUT PRAKAN, THAILAND
  • Country: Thailand
  • Topics: Health/Medicine
  • Reuters ID: LVA001CL97CJR
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Thailand's main Suvarnabhumi airport near Bangkok showed off coronavirus screening measures for arriving passengers on Friday (July 3) as it prepared to welcome limited groups of international travellers amid the country's slowdown in coronavirus cases.
    Among the measures, the airport has created a virus lab capable of providing results within about two hours.
    Diplomats, government guests, representatives from foreign countries and business travellers who have a clear itinerary and have planned a short stay will be among those that can be 'fast-tracked,' meaning they will be exempted from the usual 14-day long quarantine once receiving a negative virus test.
    They must provide a specific itinerary to authorities and hire medical staff to accompany them on their trip in the country.
    "The country is slowly opening up with these two groups. Soon, we (government) will use the same test procedures with tourists," said Suwich Thanmapalo, director of port health with the Department of Diseases Control.
    Thailand on Friday reported one new coronavirus infection in a quarantined Thai national returning from the Middle East, stretching to 39 days its record of no local transmissions.
    The virus has killed 58 people in Thailand among 3,180 infections.
    (Production: Artorn Pookasook, Jiraporn Kuhakan)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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