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Covid control measures revived amid Nipah virus scare
No cases in Thailand, tightened controls precautionary, says prime ministerPUBLISHED : 25 Jan 2026 at 17:28
WRITER: Post Reporters
www.bangkokpost.com
No cases in Thailand, tightened controls precautionary, says prime minister
PUBLISHED : 25 Jan 2026 at 17:28
The government has revived disease control measures earlier imposed to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, to prevent a Nipah virus outbreak in Thailand, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Sunday.
"Public health screening systems have been adjusted, based on the model that we used during the Covid-19 outbreak in Thailand,” the prime minister said.
Although there had not been a Nipah case in Thailand, precautions must be stepped up beyond normal because there was neither a cure nor a vaccine against the virus, he said.
The screening of visitors from any risk country must be intensified.
However, Mr Anutin said, people should not be overly worried about the outbreak of Nipah virus disease in India, or the possibility of it entering Thailand, because the disease is transmitted through bodily fluids. It is not airborne.
“People can live their normal life as usual and adhere to their familiar hygienic routine, like eating freshly cooked food, using serving spoons, frequently washing their hands and avoiding shaking hands,” he said. He would ensure the Public Health Ministry issues appropriate announcements on the Nipah situation, along with hygiene guidelines, to forestall any panic.
Dr Nattapong Wongwiwat, director-general of medical services, said his department had ordered hospitals and medical institutions within its jurisdiction to ready specialist staff, isolation wards, medication and other medical supplies for use in the event of a Nipah disease outbreak in Thailand.
The department has also tasked internal and external specialists with drawing up guidelines for use by medical personnel nationwide.
These instructions were aimed at maximising public safety, he said. They apply to Rajavithi Hospital, Lerdsin Hospital, Nopparat Rajathanee Hospital, the Neurological Institute of Thailand, the Central Chest Institute of Thailand and the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health.
The department also tasked internal and external specialists to prepare guidelines for medical personnel nationwide for use to cope with a possible Nipah virus outbreak, Dr Nattapong said.
