Pattaya hospitals were told to accept all coronavirus patients or find beds for them at alternative sites as the city moves to enforce new disease-control rules imposed by the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration.
Mayor Sonthaya Kunplome chaired an April 16 meeting of the city’s Disease Control Operational Center Commission to implement restrictions laid out by the CCSA which take effect Sunday.
Chonburi was re-designated as one of 18 “red zones”, or highest-control areas, which will see the closure of schools, continued shutdown of nightlife venues, the end of alcohol sales in restaurants and limited hours for shopping malls and other businesses.
A key issue for Sonthaya was that all area hospitals, public or private, be ready to accept coronavirus patients, even if they cannot house them on site. In such cases, patients with no or minor symptoms can be transferred to “hospitels”, or quarantine hotels modified to care for infected patients, and navy field hospitals.
The mayor also sought to have more hotels agree to become hospitels.
The city currently has only two hotels serving in that role, but Sonthaya assured the public there are plenty of beds to handle all cases.
Chonburi on Saturday reported 155 new coronavirus cases with 89 of them in Banglamung District.
