Action plan for the prevention of Corona virus COVID-19 (COVID-19) in the Pathum Thani Detention Center

Abstract

          The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has posed a serious threat for health security. It also impact on economy, society, and the residents wellbeing at the nation, regional and global levels. Globally, disease prevention and control are priorities to eliminate the crisis.   Implementing the national Action Plan aids to reduce the serious impacts on human health and any potential damages to public sectors, as well as to ensure accessibility to the health care system. Thailand has announced the national regulation to control and prevent the spread of COVID 19 through the DMHTTA guideline. These includes; D: Distancing, distance between people, avoid contact with other M: Mask wearing a mask or surgical mask at all time H: Hand washing where service points of hand sanitizer were sufficiently provided T: Temperature Check which measuring the body temperature is required before entering to several places T: Testing checks for COVID-19 and A: Application Installed which is called “Thai Chana” and “Mor Chana” before entering and leaving the place at every time. Additionally, working from home is a choice to continue work with physical distancing. These regulations have received great cooperation from people and all sectors. It has been reducing the infection rate and the mortality rate has also decreased. 

          Pathum Thani Detention Center is a public sector that has been facing the Covid19 situation. There are numbers of inmates with a fast turnover where their penalty is a short period of detention. The detainees have been issued their penalty and released from their punishment every day. Furthermore, there are 8 quarantine rooms for 1male inmates wing, and 9 quarantine rooms for the female wing. This limits the ability to prevent and control the spread of the Covid19 virus, particularly for the Omicron and its mutated species, which has been infected more quickly than others. The central detention facility Pathum Thani Province itself therefore is facing difficulties in preventing the spread of the COVID-19.  Implementing the national regulation which has been processed by the Ministry of Public Health was found to be difficult due to the variety of where the detainees came from. Moreover, the most of them are foreigners, and 40 percent were under the Immigration Act (illegally entree) and there was fast turnover rate. This is because the detention was run instead of a fine (500 bath/1 day) or instead of imprisonment. Consequently, the national requirement for the period of quarantine days and the limited of the number of the quarantine rooms have not sufficient to prevent the spread of the Covid 19 virus. Therefore, this article articulates how the national Action plan has been deployed to prevent the Covid19 infection within the detention Center of Pathum Thani. This aims to build confidence and underline the essential points to guide the disease prevention and control inside the Pathum Thani Detention Center.