10-point advisory to save loved ones from COVID-19 for people venturing out-doors

Residents of a remote community help move food donations from the Bangkok Community Help Foundation in Phra Kanong district in Bangkok on July 23, 2021, as Covid-19 coronavirus cases in the kingdom continue to reach new highs on a daily basis.
Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP

Thailand’s Department of Disease Control (DDC) is recommending a ten-point guideline for people who go outdoors for work, business or other essential reasons, to prevent them from bringing COVID-19 back home to their families and friends.

The department’s Deputy Director-General Dr. Sophon Iamsirsithavorn said today (Thursday) that, during the course of recent investigations of infected cases, they have noticed that quite a few people were unable to provide the sources or locations where they suspect they caught the disease.

The department, therefore, had to develop measures to prevent the disease from being spread into homes by people returning from outdoors, he said. 

The DDC advises the following:

1. Wash your car every time you return home with detergent and clean the door handles, upholstery, steering wheel and controls.
2. Keep shoes outside your room or house.
3. Dispose of your face masks at a separate dust bin.
4. Clean your wristwatch, baggage, smart phone, glasses and keys with sanitizer.
5. Wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds.
6. Avoid touching anything in the house or sitting on a chair or sofa before taking a shower.
7. Avoid touching any pet or anyone else in the house or apartment.
8. Separate the clothing worn outdoors from those worn indoors.
9. Take a shower and wash your hair immediately upon returning home.
10. Use a personal cutlery and plates when dining with other family members.

Dr. Sophon said that the ten-point guideline will supplement the government’s measures in containing the spread of the disease adding, however, that leaving home only if necessary will help reduce the risk of infection.