People living in crowded conditions instructed to wear masks at all times

By The Nation

 

Dr Panpimol Wipulakorn

 

The Public Health Ministry is encouraging people living in slums and in construction camps to wear cloth masks when at home and avoid going out. Caretakers of the slums and construction camps have also been told to screen people for risks, measure their temperature and keep an eye out for symptoms.

 

Dr Panpimol Wipulakorn, director-general of the Health Department, has also issued guidelines for fresh markets to follow, including maintenance of cleanliness, providing hand-sanitising gel and soap in service areas and ensuring buyers maintain a distance from each other.

 

A quick survey of 337 markets showed that 66.8 per cent follow social-distancing measures between sellers and buyers, while 49.9 per cent have even set up panels. Sellers, sales assistants, marketing staff and shoppers are also cooperating with 93.5 per cent wearing masks, while 69.4 per cent are providing hand-sanitising gel and 46.9 per cent are providing hand-washing stations with clean water and soap.

 

She added that the Public Health Ministry is recommending that people living in crowded conditions wear masks at all times, keep their hands clean and separate the items they use daily. People have also been advised to avoid leaving their homes unnecessarily, as well as monitoring themselves and their family members for symptoms.

 

Business owners and employers have also been advised to control and maintain cleanliness in accommodation, toilets, equipment and shared items, as well as provide washing stations with clean water and soap or hand-sanitising gel. They are also required to screen everybody and keep an eye on people for symptoms.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30386069

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-04-15

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What about eating and drinking, can the masks be removed or lowered at that time?

2020, maybe start to do something against people living in slums

 

or are they only good to be house slaves, construction fodder ?

17 hours ago, anchadian said:

What about eating and drinking, can the masks be removed or lowered at that time?

No. You can't afford to eat, and booze has been banned.

6 minutes ago, Grusa said:

No. You can't afford to eat, and booze has been banned.

Probably get ejected from their slums soon, so they wont have that worry ???? 

That's fine. 

 

But an underreported issue is repeated use of masks that are designed for single use. 

 

Cloth masks can be washed but do poor people realistically have the setup to wash them often enough? 

 

A person using cloth masks should ideally own several so there is always a clean one ready. 

 

Surgical masks are meant to be used only one time. Yes there are sanitation methods to stretch that to 5 but realistically what do you imagine the compliance is for that especially people living rough? 

 

N95s are a separate issue. Expensive not appropriate to wear all the time because they restrict breathing. Also designed for single use but can be sanitized. 

 

What good are masks if people are wearing filthy virus laden masks? 

 

 

On the issue of eating that's a problem. 

 

Typically you see people lower them to their chin. Not good. The chin may have picked up virus. Then after eating they are putting the same inside side of the mask back on their mouth and nose. 

Edited April 16, 20206 yr by Jingthing

Well I never realised slums had caretakers.