Thailand lifts nationwide curfew as it marks 21 days with no local coronavirus cases

Thailand on June 15 lifted coronavirus curfew allowing schools to reopen and restaurants to serve alcohol after going through a two-months of intense lockdown. The decision to ease restrictions came after the South Asian country recorded no new local coronavirus case in the last 21 days as all new cases have been recorded in Thais who have returned from abroad. Thailand was the first country to record a COVID-19 case outside mainland China and with its curfew and other precautionary measures the country of 70 million has successfully managed to flatten its curve. 

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Thailand had already allowed restaurants to resume operations in the country two weeks ago but now they have been given permission to serve alcohol as well. Other businesses and institutions that have been allowed to reopen from June 15 are schools, music concerts, film productions, amusement parks, exhibition halls, and playgrounds. According to reports, sporting events have also been allowed to resume in the country but without spectators. Bars, pubs, and karaoke will remain shut until further notice. 

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COVID cases & response in Thailand

According to figures by Johns Hopkins University, Thailand has recorded just over 3,100 coronavirus cases since the outbreak began in late December last year. The country has logged in 58 deaths as of June 15 with about 2,900 patients successfully recovered. Thailand recorded its first coronavirus case on January 13 and the nation imposed a lockdown on March 26 and the curfew on April 3. All domestic and international travels were banned in the country and face coverings were made compulsory in order to block the further spread of the virus. The government announced a stimulus package of $60 billion to deal with the economic effects of the virus. 

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(Image Credit: AP)