Cleanup Campaigns in Bangkok to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 (12/3/2020)

Cleanup campaigns have been carried out at various temples, which are major tourist attractions in Bangkok, as a way to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Minister to the Prime Ministers Office Tewan Liptapallop on 12 March 2020 joined a group of volunteers, under the project \"We Do Good Deeds with Our Hearts, to clean up Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn).

Minister to the Prime Ministers Office Tewan Liptapallop on 12 March 2020 joined a group of volunteers, under the project \"We Do Good Deeds with Our Hearts, to clean up Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn).

He also instructed the National Office of Buddhism to coordinate with other temples in launching the cleanup campaigns to contain COVID-19. According to the cleanup program, the cleanup activity will be carried out at Wat Hong Rattanaram at 09.00 hr on 13 March, and at 13.00 hr on the same day at Wat Phra Chetuphon (Wat Pho).

On 16 March, it will be carried out at Wat Suthat at 08.00 hr and Wat Pak Nam Phasi Charoen at 13.00 hr. On 18 March, the cleanup activity will take place at Wat Traimit at 09:00 hr and Wat Rakhang Khositaram at 13.00 hr.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has upgraded the status of COVID-19 from epidemic to pandemic. On 11 March, 2020, WHO and UNWTO (World Tourism Organization) announced their agreement to further advance the two agencies coordinated response to the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak. Both United Nations agencies stressed the need to include the following guiding principles:

The importance of international cooperation and responsible leadership at this critical time.

The solidarity of the tourism sector and of individual tourists, as well as the responsibility both have for helping minimize the spread and impact of COVID-19.

The key role tourism can play in both containing the COVID-19 outbreak and in leading future response efforts.

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