Measures employed to ensure coins are Covid-19 free
Treasury Department director-general Yutthana Yimkarun said his department has been employing measures to make sure coins are clean and free of germs as many people are worried that coins might be a factor boosting the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus.
“All new coins manufactured at the Royal Thai Mint will be disinfected before being circulated,” he said. “As for coins that have been exchanged and are back at the department for sorting and cleaning, they too will be disinfected before re-circulation.”
Yutthana said the department has six coin exchange offices nationwide and they have been instructed to use caution to prevent the spread of germs.
“All coins at exchange centres will be disinfected then sealed airtight before distribution, so people can rest assured that their newly exchanged coins are clean,” he said. “Moreover, I have instructed all staff to wear face masks at work and use hand sanitisers when they finish handling coins as a precaution against Covid-19.
“However, for coins that have been in circulation for some time and have not yet returned to us, they still carry the risk of spreading the virus,” said Yutthana. “People therefore need to take care by washing their hands regularly or using a hand sanitiser.”
