Bangkok tightens restrictions

People pose for pictures with decorations made for New Year countdown celebrations outside a shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020. Thailand ordered to scaled down gathering for New Year celebrations after reporting more than 155 new coronavirus infections and its first fatality since November on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

Officials in Bangkok have announced new restrictions, including the closure of some entertainment facilities during the New Year’s holiday, as coronavirus infections continued to rise following a recent outbreak.

After months of seeming to have the Covid-19 situation under control, Thailand has seen two major clusters developing since the middle of this month that threatened to undo its progress.

One has mainly infected hundreds of migrant workers from Myanmar at a seafood market near Bangkok, while in recent days a cluster has grown connected to a gambling den in an eastern province.

As part of the restrictions, hostess bars, gambling venues and massage parlours in Bangkok were ordered by the city government to close from Tuesday until Jan 4.

Bars and restaurants will be allowed to remain open during this period, but must close at midnight and adhere to social distancing requirements.

Thailand reported 155 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday morning – 134 were local transmissions, 11 were migrant workers and 10 were from state quarantine, according to the government’s Covid-19 coordinating centre.

Meanwhile, the latest Covid-19 death in nearly two months in Thailand was confirmed on Monday.

The victim was a 45-year-old parking attendant at an illegal gambling den in Rayong province. He had chronic heart disease and diabetes.

Rayong Gov Channa Ieamsang confirmed at least 148 active cases linked to the gambling den on Tuesday afternoon.

In response to the outbreak in Rayong, officials have announced a widespread shutdown, including schools, bars, massage and beauty parlours and department stores.

The early closing times for bars and restaurants in Bangkok means that New Year’s celebrations are likely to be strongly muted.

“During the New Year’s holiday we won’t impose travel restrictions, but there will be measures put in place in many provinces,” said

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha, who visited Rayong on Tuesday.

— AP