Thailand's PM Prayut blames migrant workers for COVID-19 outbreak

After one of the biggest outbreaks of coronavirus in the famous seafood market, Thailand'sPrime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha has passed a controversial statement blaming the migrants for it.

Thailand reported one of the biggest outbreaks of COVID-19 in the country after a67-year-old prawn seller from Mahachai market tested positive for coronavirus. The market was out on high alert immediately after nearly 800 people were found to have been infected through contact tracing.

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Following the infection rate, Thailanddecided to test more than 10,000 people from the market and the surrounding areas. While the authorities were busy inf finding the origin of this outbreak, the Prime Minister seems to have made up his mind that the low-paid migrants are the sole reason behind this massive outbreak.

"They snuck out and came back in,"Prayut said referring to migrant workers who arrived in Thailand from neighbouring Myanmar to look for work.

Earlier, authorities had asked the market workers and residents to not leave the area at any cost. "We are locking and banning them from moving," the health ministry's permanent secretary, Kietphgum Wongit said.

Thailand's COVID-19 taskforce had immediately started tracing the communities in and around the market."The (Department of Disease Control) will do active tracing in several communities of about 10,300 people," said Taweesin Visanuyothin, a spokesman for Thailand's COVID-19 taskforce.

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However, the PM has asked authorities to come up with a stricter way to handle the situation. "I have told authorities there must be a system to trace workers," he said.

Prayut's statements have attracted criticism from the locals, especially the migrants, who feel this will act as fuel to the fire as it will add to theanti-Myanmar sentiment, especially on social media.