Coronavirus Crisis in SE Asia
Thailand plans more restrictions as infections, deaths hit record highs
Sign up now: Get insights on Asia's fast-moving developments
Workers moving a Covid-19 victim to the morgue of Thammasat Hospital in Pathum Thani province, north of Bangkok, yesterday. High-risk areas in Thailand are under the toughest curbs in more than a year.
PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Follow topic:
BANGKOK • Thailand is looking to introduce more movement curbs as the authorities yesterday reported record numbers of new Covid-19 cases and deaths, despite partial lockdowns in Bangkok and nine other provinces.
The country's Covid-19 task force reported 10,082 new coronavirus cases and 141 additional deaths, both daily records and bringing total infections to 391,989 and fatalities to 3,240 since the pandemic started.
"From the current situation, we predict that if we don't introduce more measures there will be more infections and deaths in large numbers for the next three to four months," said Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, while advising people to stay at home as much as possible and avoid travel between provinces.
Thailand has already imposed a nationwide ban on public gatherings which carries a maximum penalty of a two-year jail term or a fine of up to 40,000 baht (S$1,660), or both, an announcement on the official Royal Gazette published late on Friday showed.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said the government is considering more restrictions as the country battles its worst Covid-19 outbreak yet, fuelled by the highly transmissible Alpha and Delta variants of the coronavirus.
"There is a need to expand measures to limit people's movement as much as possible and closing more facilities, leaving only the essentials," Mr Prayut said on his official Facebook page on Friday.
Areas considered high risk in Thailand have since last Monday been under the toughest restrictions in more than a year, involving curbs on movement and gatherings, the closure of malls and some businesses, and curfews between 9pm and 4am.
10,082
Number of new coronavirus cases reported yesterday; 141 additional deaths were also recorded.
The government also plans to increase the number of Covid-19 tests, which now cover 70,000 to 80,000 people per day, by introducing home-testing kits which will be available from drugstores this week, Covid-19 task force spokesman Apisamai Srirangsan said.
REUTERS
