Bangkok likely to be put under lockdown tomorrow

After record daily Covid-19 infections sent the city into a panic trying to stop the virus's spread, Thailand's capital, Bangkok, is expected to be put under complete lockdown tomorrow. The recommendation is required from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, which will be forwarded to the full committee chaired by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha.

The CCSA would also address a possible 21-day quarantine for people travelling from Covid-19 hotspots outside of the country. India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are among the suggested hotspots.

Yesterday, the capital saw 901 infections and four deaths, prompting a partial lockdown and the requirement that residents wear masks. Even Thailand's Prime Minister was caught breaking the mask-wearing law, and he was fined 6,000 baht by the Bangkok governor for not wearing a face mask during a meeting at Government House yesterday.

After the conference, a picture of the PM sitting at a meeting table without a face mask was posted on his own Facebook page, according to Thai PBS World. The photo was later taken down, but not before eagle-eyed netizens had posted it.

Meanwhile, Bangkok's 31 styles of businesses have been forced to close for at least two weeks as of yesterday. The Ministry of Public Health's Department of Disease Control confirmed 2,179 new Covid-19 cases and 15 deaths in Thailand today. With 30,824 people infected with Covid-19 since April 1, the latest surge of infections accounts for more than half of Thailand's overall infection count. 69 Covid patients have died this month as a result of the infection. In Thailand, there are currently 25,973 active Covid-19 cases, with 169 patients in critical condition.

The majority of Covid-19 cases registered in Bangkok in the last month have been linked to bars and nightclubs. Nearly two-thirds of the latest wave of Covid-19 infections in Bangkok were traced back to entertainment venues, according to data from Thailand's Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Thailand has confirmed 59,687 Covid-19 infections and 163 coronavirus-related deaths since the outbreak began last year.