Thailand PM fined for not wearing face mask; Indians not allowed to visit country from May 1
Bangkok, Apr 26: Thailand Prime Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha was fined 6,000 baht (Rs 14,270) on Monday for not wearing a mask, as his government struggled to combat a new wave of coronavirus cases in the country.
Thailand, which has barred the entry of travellers from India, with the exception of Thai citizens, from May 1, on Monday announced 2,048 new infections and eight new deaths, the fourth consecutive day with over 2,000 new COVID-19 cases.
Gen. Prayut was fined as he did not wear a mask during a meeting with his vaccine procurement advisers on Monday, the Bangkok Post reported.
The Thai capital Bangkok has made mask-wearing compulsory from Monday.
Thai officials are imposing fines of up to 20,000 baht (Rs 47,610) on people who fail to wear face masks in public in 48 provinces, as the government in struggled to cope with a new wave of coronavirus cases that is straining the country's medical system.
Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang posted on Facebook on Monday that he had filed a complaint against the prime minister with the police.
City officials swing into action after social media criticised the Prime Minister. His Facebook page showed him sitting with his face unprotected at the head of a meeting table while everyone else was wearing a mask.
In his Facebook post in the afternoon, Police General Aswin wrote Gen Prayut had asked him to check whether he had done wrong.
I told him he had violated a Bangkok Metropolitan Administration announcement, which requires everyone in the capital to wear a mask at all times while outside his or her home or residence. Violation results in a fine up to 20,000 baht under Section 51 of the 2015 Disease Control Act, he wrote.
Since investigators may determine the fine for the offence based on a fining regulation, Gen Prayut was asked to pay 6,000 baht, the Bangkok Post reported.
Meanwhile, Thailand will close its border to travellers from India, with the exception of Thai citizens, from Saturday, the Thai embassy in New Delhi announced on Sunday.
The embassy said it will not issue certificates of entry for non-Thai nationals until further notice. From May 1, only Thai nationals will be able to enter Thailand from India, the mission announced on Sunday.
"The issuance of Certificate of Entry (COEs) for non-Thai nationals who will be arriving in Thailand from India from 1 May 2021 onwards will be suspended until further notice," the embassy said in a press release.
"Therefore, the Embassy will not accommodate non-Thai nationals on the flights on 1, 15 and 22 May 2021," it said.
Thailand has reported a total of 57,508 COVID-19 cases and 148 deaths.
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Karnataka village switches off TVs, mobiles for two hours daily to help students study
Belagavi: Every evening at 7 pm, a siren rings out in Halaga, a village near Belagavi, signalling residents to switch off all screens including televisions, mobile phones, laptops and tablets for the next two hours.
The community has voluntarily adopted this “digital-free time” to help students focus on studies and to encourage families to spend more time talking to each other. The 'digital detox' initiative, 'No TV, no mobile, just study and conversation', is said to be the first such to be adopted by a Karnataka village, Deccan Herald reported on Monday.
According to the report, Halaga, which has a population of about 12,000 and is located close to the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, launched the initiative on December 17. A siren installed at the gram panchayat office marks the start of the no-screen period at 7 pm, and another siren at 9 pm signals its end.
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Gram panchayat authorities are reaching out to those residents who are yet to comply and are urging them to stay away from screen during the two hours.
Authorities are also visiting households that have not fully adopted the practice and are encouraging parents to follow the routine strictly. Teachers and panchayat members plan to continue meeting families to ensure more participation.
The Halaga village exercise is said to be inspired by a similar experiment in Agran Dhulgaon near Sangli in Maharashtra which had a positive response on students' learning habits.
