BANGKOK • Charoen Pokphand (CP) Foods, Thailand's biggest meat producer, will close its factory in Saraburi province for five days to stem the coronavirus outbreak, according to the provincial government.

The poultry processing plant, some 100km north of Bangkok, was closed yesterday until Thursday, the provincial administration said on Facebook. The closure came after the authorities found 245 employees had been infected.

South-east Asia's second-biggest economy is battling a new wave of Covid-19 infections that has spread into prisons, among people of lower socio-economic status and in factories.

Glove maker Sri Trang Gloves (Thailand) and electronic products and equipment manufacturer Cal-Comp Electronics (Thailand) closed some of their production sites this month to stem the spread of the coronavirus among its employees.

The CP Foods factory has about 5,800 employees. CP Foods will start the disinfection process and tighten health measures at the factory during the closure, the company said.

BLOOMBERG