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A series of coronavirus outbreaks in Thailand’s factories have raised concerns that the export sector may be hit hard and may further damage the economy as it is struggling to recover from the severe blow of the pandemic to the key tourism industry.
The virus has swept through more than 130 factories, including supplying international brands, and more than 7,100 cases have occurred in 11 provinces, making manufacturing, along with prisons and construction camps, one of the top sources of infection.
According to government data, the affected factories are only a small part of Thailand’s approximately 63,000 factories, which employ 3.4 million people, but officials worry that as tourism revenues plummet, exports will be affected and the troubled economy will be maintained. Running.
Kriengkrai Thiennukul, vice chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries, told Reuters that electronic products, rubber gloves and food are the export industries affected by the infection, but he said it is too early to assess the overall impact.
“If it continues, the damage will increase, so factories must be fully vaccinated,” he said. Some manufacturers affected by the epidemic have had to cut production.
The government has been trying to control the epidemic through a “bubble and seal” policy, which takes effect when 10% of factory workers are infected. The confirmed cases were then sent for treatment, while the remaining cases remained in the factory for 28 days.
Workers living in factories and construction camps on construction sites—many of whom are low-wage migrant workers—cannot leave their workplaces even if they are not infected. This policy is different from other workplaces affected by the coronavirus.
“This is not appropriate,” said Suthasinee Kaewleklai, coordinator of the Thai Migrant Workers Rights Network, adding that the authorities should do more testing.
Chayut Setboonsarng and Panarat Thepgumpanat reported for Reuters that so far, Thailand has recorded 199,264 Covid-19 infections and 1,466 deaths, of which more than 80% of new cases and 90% of deaths were reported after April. As of now, only 1.6 million of the population of more than 66 million have been fully vaccinated.
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