[ad_1]
BANGKOK, Jan. 2 (The Nation Thailand / ANN / AFP): Bangkok’s nightlife will calm down as a ban on the sale of alcohol in bars, nightclubs and restaurants goes into effect on Saturday, among a series of restrictions aimed at curbing the growing number of coronavirus victims in the kingdom.
Thailand initially appeared to have escaped the worst of the virus, registering just under 4,000 cases in total in November, despite being the second country to detect an infection in January.
But an outbreak last month in a mass seafood market has turned into a resurgence, with infections now detected in 53 of the kingdom’s 73 provinces. By Saturday, the number of cases had risen to more than 7,300.
Meanwhile, the Center for the Management of the Covid-19 Situation (CCSA) announced 216 confirmed cases and one death on Saturday.
Of the 214 domestic cases, 182 were of Thai nationality and 32 were migrant workers. There were only two cases in quarantine facilities.
Of the Thai patients, 37 were in Samut Sakhon, 32 in Chonburi, 27 in Rayong, 25 in Nonthaburi, 23 in Samut Prakarn, 18 in Bangkok, 10 in Chanthaburi, two in Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom and Ang Thong, and one each one in Chainat, Ratchaburi, Ayutthaya and Suphanburi.
Of the 32 migrant workers infected, 30 were in Samut Sakhon and one in Tak and Pathum Thani.
As of Saturday, 53 provinces have reported cases in the latest outbreak.
The patients in the quarantine facility were an Indian flying from India and a Thai citizen arriving from the US.
CCSA spokesman Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin said a 47-year-old patient had died on Friday at a local hotel that served as a hospital in the Bang Lamung district of Chonburi province.
In Bangkok, where more than 2,600 active cases have been detected, city authorities acted quickly and announced a partial closure that will take effect on Saturday.
Bars and nightclubs, boxing stadiums, cockfighting courts and massage parlors, as well as hair salons and gyms, will be among a large number of businesses affected.
The capital also announced yesterday that public schools will be closed for two weeks, while more than a dozen virus checkpoints were installed across the city on Saturday.
“We do not want to use extreme measures such as closure and the implementation of a curfew, but we need stronger medicine to prevent the further increase,” Taweesin said.
The nationwide restrictions and closures are expected to take effect from January 4 to February 1, he added, allowing a two-day “grace period” for business owners to prepare.
The authorities, concerned about causing alarm throughout the country, have been reluctant to classify the new appearance of the virus as a “second wave”.
But anger resonated on Thai social media on Saturday over the renewed restrictions, with business owners expressing frustration with the partial shutdown.
“I strictly comply with the measures, but now I need to close my business while there are many people fighting on the skytrain every day,” wrote Aksika Chantarawinji, a spa owner, on the official Facebook page of the governor of Bangkok.
Thailand’s economy has been hit hard by the coronavirus and is among the worst hit in Southeast Asia due to its dependence on tourism and exports.
People will not be required to travel between provinces and will be allowed to work from home, Taweesin said, adding that more serious measures, or the second phase, will be implemented in case the aforementioned measures are ineffective.
The total number of confirmed cases in Thailand has risen to 7,379, of which 5,356 were contracted domestically, comprising 1,440 migrant workers and 2,023 returnees. So far, 4,299 have recovered and been discharged, while 64 people have died.
According to Worldometer, as of 10 a.m. on Saturday, the total number of confirmed cases globally had risen to 84.37 million (up to 561,913), 59.63 million have recovered, 24.74 million are active cases (106,561 in serious condition) and 1.83 million have died (up to 9,470).
Thailand ranks 136th on the world list for most cases, while the United States tops the ranking with 20.61 million, followed by India 10.3 million, Brazil 7.7 million, Russia 3.18 million and France 2.63 million. – The Nation Thailand / Asian News Network / AFP
[ad_2]
