Thailand’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) imposed a number of partial lockdown measures on Friday, including a night-time curfew and a ban on gatherings of five people or more in Bangkok and five nearby provinces, to come into effect on Monday (July 12th), to curb the continued surge in COVID-19 infections and deaths.
People from the capital and Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Sakhon, Nakhon Pathom and Samut Prakan are urged to refrain from travel or from leaving the house between 9pm and 4am, said CCSA Assistant Spokesperson Apisamai Srirangsan.
Working from home is encouraged, while interprovincial travel is discouraged, with public transport operators to reduce their services. Convenience stores are required to close from 8pm to 4am. Only some parts of malls are allowed to open, only until 8pm, such as supermarkets, restaurants (with no dine-in), banks, pharmacies, electronic shops and vaccination sites. All spas and massage parlours are ordered to close. Parks have to close at 8pm and public transport must stop operating between 9pm and 3am.
Schools are also ordered to close, with only online classes to be conducted. COVID-19 infection zones have been readjusted, with the Red Zone increased, from 10 to 24 provinces, and Orange Zones from 9 to 25 provinces. The Dark Red Zone remains the same at 10 provinces, including Bangkok, the five nearby provinces and Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and Songkhla. The night-time curfew and gathering ban are also applicable in the Deep South.
Thailand recorded 9,276 new infections and 72 more deaths today. So far, 288,643 have been infected in the latest outbreak beginning in April, 2021.
Deputy Public Health Minister, Satit Pitutacha also noted that the number of new infections may not decrease straight away, but might see a decline on the 10th day of lockdown.
Other measures may be imposed if the infections do not decline after two weeks, he said.
Meanwhile, Thai AirAsia has suspended its domestic flights between July 10th – 31st to comply with the new government measures.
