BANGKOK – Thailand is to extend Covid-19 restrictions, including the seven-hour night curfew, until the end of this month in Bangkok and 28 provinces.
In bid to contain the kingdom’s outbreak, the Public Health Ministry is to deploy more response teams to conduct active case detection using RTK-Ag test kits in Bangkok and neighboring provinces.
Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) spokesman Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin said the restrictions and containment measures in the areas will remain, adding that this includes the closure of shopping malls, ban on public gatherings of more than five people and no dine-ins.
However, he said bank branches and financial institutions in shopping malls would be allowed to reopen from tomorrow.
“The restrictions and measures will be reviewed again in two weeks,” he said at a press conference here today.
The announcement was made after a CCSA meeting chaired by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan O-Cha.
Meanwhile, Dr Taweesin said the relevant agencies were preparing guidelines to consider Covid-19 passes for access to venues such as restaurants and participation in sanctioned activities.
Thailand has been struggling with its worst outbreak so far. Yesterday, the country recorded 21,157 new cases and 182 fatalities, bringing the total infections in the kingdom to 928,314 and 7,734 deaths to date. – Bernama, August 17, 2021
