15 May, 2020
Shopping malls and restaurants in shopping centres are among businesses allowed to reopen on Sunday, and curfew hours will be shortened by one hour to 11pm.
Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), said on Friday that shopping centres, malls and restaurants inside the buildings will be allowed to resume business nationwide from Sunday.
Convention centres, wholesale markets and swimming pools will also be allowed to reopen, he said.
Shopping centres will have to close at 8pm, to give people sufficient time to return home in time for the night curfew.
New curfew hours will also be introduced, from 11pm-4am instead of from 10pm, starting on Sunday, Dr Taweesilp said.
The decision to reopen some businesses will be published in the Royal Gazette on Friday or Saturday.
Dr Taweesilp said cinemas, amusement parks, boxing stadiums and gymnasiums remained closed, while fitness centres will be allowed to resume some activities.
The easing of restrictions comes after regular reports of fewer new coronavirus cases and deaths. There were seven new cases reported on Friday, all people returning from visits to Pakistan, with no new deaths. On Wednesday, there were no new infections at all.
The CCSA spokesman said airports remain closed to commercial flights from overseas, and no alcoholic beverages are allowed to be consumed in restaurants.
