Thailand Announces New COVID-19 Restrictions In Bangkok And 5 Provinces

JAKARTA - Thailand announced new restrictions centered around the capital city in an effort to tackle the country's worst COVID-19 outbreak. According to Antara, Sunday, June 27, the new measure, which will be implemented for 30 days starting Monday, June 28, includes a ban eat at restaurants in the capital Bangkok and five neighboring provinces, according to a document released in Thailand's official royal gazette. Shopping malls in Bangkok and five surrounding provinces must close by 9 p.m. local time. Parties and celebrations or activities involving crowds of more than 20 people will be prohibited, the document said.

It was also stated that construction sites in the six areas and labor camps would be closed to prevent the emergence of COVID-19 clusters. The order was issued following more clusters in construction camps in the capital, which has 575 such sites housing about 81,000 workers. Since May, 37 COVID-19 clusters have been found in camps in Bangkok. Authorities will set up checkpoints in Bangkok and in the five provinces to restrict travel and relocate construction workers, he said, adding that checkpoints would also be set up in four southern provinces near Malaysia. #BangkokLockdown was trending on Twitter in the early hours of Sunday, while netizens criticized the timing of the announcement. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Friday (25/6) that he wanted to avoid the term lockdown and that certain places of business and economic activity would be targeted to prevent COVID-19.