"The emergency decree is still needed to ensure integration of the authority held by various state officials, which the Communicable Disease Control Act lacks the power to enforce," said Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam. He was responding to growing calls by political and rights activists and the opposition for the emergency decree to be revoked. "Neither the public health minister nor the Disease Control Department director-general has the authority [under the Communicable Disease Control Act] to tell the immigration officials or the police what to do," he said. Of the six bans imposed under the emergency decree, only two remained in place and they had not been strictly implemented, he said. Mrc Wissanu also said the Communicable Disease Control Act was being amended so it would be better positioned to deal with future health crises like the coronavirus, so the emergency decree wouldn't be needed again.

Source: Bangkok Post July 01, 2020 22:18 UTC