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Thai PM blames virus surge on illegal migration

Migrant workers talk with the public health authorities for a Covid-19 investigation at a fresh market, amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak, in Bangkok, Thailand, December 22, 2020.
Migrant workers talk with the public health authorities for a Covid-19 investigation at a fresh market, amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak, in Bangkok, Thailand, December 22, 2020.
Image: REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa

Thailand's prime minister on Tuesday attributed a recent surge in coronavirus cases to illegal migration and said additional regulations to fight the epidemic could be announced this week.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said he would meet his Covid-19 task force this week and may introduce “appropriate” measures ahead of New Year celebrations, without elaborating.

Prayuth said the more than 1,000 cases detected mostly among workers from Myanmar since the weekend in Samut Sakhon province — the country's biggest coronavirus outbreak so far — were primarily due to networks responsible for illegal migration.

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