Thailand enacts shutdowns to curb spread of coronavirus

Thailand's government has enacted a raft of measures to combat spre of coronavirus, including postponing country's biggest annual holiday and shutting down schools.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha's Cabinet approved measures at a meeting where all attendees practiced social distancing by wearing face masks and sitting 1 meter apart, as recommended by health experts.

plan to postpone Songkran — an annual three-day holiday in mid-April marking tritional Thai New Year — is one of a series of measures aimed at discouraging garing and movement of large numbers of people. Millions of Thais rmally travel from Bangkok and or cities where y work to ir hometowns to celebrate Songkran. holiday will be rescheduled at a later date to be decided.

Government-run educational institutions through university level will be closed for two weeks starting Wednesday, initially in Bangkok and joining suburban provinces.

Garing places such as bars, karaoke parlors, movie aters, gymnasiums, boxing stiums and or sports venues will be subject to closures as ordered by provincial goverrs. Such venues in Bangkok will be also be closed for two weeks beginning Wednesday.

closing of restaurants and malls in Bangkok will be at discretion of its goverr. Meanwhile, restaurants are required to implement strict disinfection procedures and health safety measures. Several in Bangkok have voluntarily cut out table service and will only do takeout and delivery.

goverrs of two provinces, Buriram in rast and Uthai Thani in rth, have alrey used ir authority to regulate travelers with health checks and ban garings of more than 50 people.

While new coronavirus can be dely, particularly for elderly and people with or health problems, for most people it causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. Some feel symptoms at all and vast majority of people recover.

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Speaking at a news conference after weekly Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Prayuth said Thailand remains opens to foreign visitors, although strict conditions are attached. All arriving foreigners must have health certificates issued more than three days before boarding along with health insurance, and must downlo tracking applications developed by government to keep track of m and ir health once y arrive in Thailand.

All people arriving from China, Hong Kong, Macao, South Korea, Iran and Italy are required to self-isolate for 14 days after arrival.

Several commercial sectors in Thailand are suffering from COVID-19 outbreak, with huge tourism sector taking a major blow.

tourism industry in Thailand accounted for 15.5% of total employment — 5,834,000 jobs — in 2017, according to a report issued last year by Bangkok Bank.

Among measures launched by government to bring financial relief to people and businesses suffering financially is a 3% reduction in price of public utilities including water and electricity.

government also anunced plans to create temporary six-month jobs, but gave details.

"Under current circumstances, prevention and protection measures against COVID-19 are first priority of Thailand," Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said Monday when he anunced many of measures proposed to fight outbreak.

“ effects on ecomy, tourism, exports and tre come second," he said. "We don't kw yet how serious this battle will be; we are putting in everything to deal with it and n later we will come up with an ecomic rehabilitation plan.”

Thailand, first country outside China to confirm a case of coronavirus, reported 30 new cases on Tuesday, bringing country's total to 177.

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