COVID-19: Situation Improves In Thailand, Bangkok Extends Alcohol Sale Ban

By LINDA KHOO BANGKOK, April 20 (Bernama) -- In its bid to halt the spread of COVID-19, Thailand’s capital, Bangkok has extended a temporary alcohol sales ban until the end of this month. Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) imposed a temporary alcohol sales ban from April 10 to midnight today to prevent social gatherings, especially during Thais New Year’s Songkran festival last week. Despite the COVID-19 situation in the kingdom continuing to improve with low numbers of new COVID-19 cases, Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang said the BMA Communicable Disease Committee agreed an extension is necessary. “The extension will effectively curb the spread of COVID-19 in Bangkok and bringing the situation under control,” he said in a statement here Monday. Bangkok has recorded the highest number of COVID-19 – 1,440 of 2,792 cumulative cases reported in the kingdom since the outbreak in January. Today, Thailand reported 27 new COVID-19 cases and no new fatalities for the third consecutive day, bringing the tally of positive cases to 2,792 with the number of casualties remaining at 47. It is the lowest number of daily infection recorded since March 14. Thailand recorded the highest daily increase -188 confirmed cases on March 22. Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) spokesman Thaweesilp Wissanuyothin said to date, a total of 1,999 patients have recovered and returned home. “A total of 142, 589 samples have been tested for COVID-19 in the kingdom, since February. “In April, an average of 3,000 samples were tested per day in the kingdom with detection rate between 1.41 per cent and 3.82 percent,” he said at COVID-19 daily briefing here today. To date, 35 out of 77 provinces reported no new cases of COVID-19 in the last 14 days. Meanwhile, Thaweesilp said about 9,000 Thais in 144 countries have registered with Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to return home after April 30. “They must obtain fit-to-fly documents and a 14-day quarantine at state facilities is compulsory. They must return home in stages,” he said. The Interior Ministry reported there are 796 temporary quarantine facilities nationwide. -- BERNAMA