Bangkok to close more public venues to curb spread of COVID-19

By Linda Khoo Hui Li

BANGKOK, Jan 1 -- All educational institutions in this Thai capital will be closed from Jan 4 to 17 while more public venues including entertainment outlets, sports venues and gambling outlets will be closed until further notice, in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

The spokesman for Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), Pongsakorn Kwanmuang said the closure for the educational institutions, including universities, schools, tutorial centres, pre-schools and nurseries, ordered shut till Jan 4 before this, will now be extended until Jan 17. 

He said entertainment outlets including bars, night clubs, tattoo parlours and massage parlours as well as recreational venues such as water parks, amusement parks, playgrounds and gambling venues remain closed until further notice. 

“There are COVID-19 cases linked to students and other businesses. Therefore, BMA’s Communicable Diseases Committee has agreed to tighten restrictions to halt the spread of infections,” he said at a press conference here today.

However, Pongsakorn said departmental stores will remain open for now.

“BMA will hold a meeting to discuss further on whether to ban dining in at restaurants,” he said.

Over the last 24 hours, Thailand recorded 279 COVID-19 cases and two deaths bringing the total to 7,163 cases and 63 fatalities to date.

Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) spokesman Thaweesilp Wissanuyothin said of the 279 new cases, a total of 273 local transmissions were reported while six new cases were detected at alternative state quarantine (ASQ).

He said a 44-year-old man visited an entertainment outlet in Bangkok and later developed COVID-19 symptoms and died at a hospital yesterday.

He said a 70-year-old man from Tak province who crossed the border from Myanmar illegally on Nov 29 had underlying health conditions died at a hospital at 10 pm (local time) yesterday.

Thaweesilp said the latest outbreak in Thailand has spread to 53 provinces including six provinces which are under highly-controlled areas, namely Samut Sakhon with 1,739 cases, Rayong (319), Chonburi (207), Bangkok (180), Nakhon Pathom (60) and Samut Prakan (57).

-- BERNAMA