School Reopening in Thailand a Success; Parents Urged to Screen Kids' Health

Schools in Thailand finally welcomed students for the first time on May 17 after shuttering its doors for more than two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first day of school reopening and onsite teaching for the 1/2022 semester was deemed a success after schools "proved to be well prepared, both in terms of surveillance and control measures against the spread of COVID-19," as per a press release from the Royal Thai Government on May 17.

Government spokesperson Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana had shared that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha himself was pleased with the "overall situation" of the school reopening.

Majority of the students have been vaccinated against COVID-19. To prevent the spread of the disease in schools, teachers, students, and school staff complied with safety measures during the first day, such as wearing of face masks, observing social distancing, staggering class hours and breaks, and regularly cleaning the school areas.

"The Prime Minister urged the parents to conduct screening of students’ health before allowing them to go to school to minimize the risk of the disease spread and infection," the press release also read. "He also thanked the public and all concerned sectors, especially doctors and medical staffs, for their contribution to the continuously declining number of new COVID-19 cases, patients who have developed pneumonia, and death cases."