01 May, 2020
BANGKOK — A number of business venues will be allowed to reopen beginning this Sunday, the government announced Thursday.
Taweesin Visanuyothin, spokesman of the Center for the COVID-19 Situation Administration, said the businesses may be closed or suspended again if the number of coronavirus infections surge back; Thailand saw a single-digit increase in new cases again for the fourth consecutive day.
“If there are surges in the number of new cases in the next 14 days, we may need to review them,” Taweesin said. “It’s not only the duties of the public or private sectors, but it’s the responsibility of everyone.”
Venues set for reopening include markets, restaurants and street food vendors outside shopping malls, supermarkets, grocery stores, sport complexes, public parks, beauty salons, and pet shops.
The measure will be effective May 3. The ban on alcohol sales will remain in place.
He said provincial governors are allowed to adjust the measures accordingly in their province, but their restrictions must be either on par or more intense than the measures outlined by the government.
All of the reopened venues must also strictly adhere to social distancing and hygiene measures, he added.
Taweesin said seven new cases of infection were reported in Thailand on Thursday, a fourth consecutive day with less than 10 new coronavirus cases.
Four patients were found during an active case-finding operation in Phuket and Krabi provinces, while three patients were those who were put under state quarantine after their return from Malaysia, Taweesin added.
Thailand has reported 2,954 cumulative infection cases and 54 deaths so far. As of Thursday, 213 patients are being treated at hospitals, while 2,887 patients have recovered. The center reported no new fatalities today.
