FILE PHOTO: Night clubs and go-go bars street Soi Cowboy is seen empty after Thai government ordered the closure of cinemas, bars and other entertainment facilities as part of a raft of measures intended to control the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Bangkok, Thailand March 18, 2020.
Thailand’s capital Bangkok will shut down 196 entertainment venues for two weeks, the city’s governor reported on Monday, following a new spike in COVID-19 infections.
The venues will be closed from Tuesday until April 19 as they are located in 3 districts where some venues are linked to a new cluster of over 100 people who tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days, said Asawin Kwanmuang, governor of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.
“We will close entertainment venues in the 3 districts, while other venues where cases are found will be individually closed,” Asawin told reporters late on Monday.
Thailand detected 194 new coronavirus infections earlier on Monday, a rare 3-digit figure, which included 45 from Bangkok’s nightlife cluster.
The country has largely been successful in containing the spread of the virus. Since last year, it has registered 29,321 cases and 95 deaths.
On Wednesday, Thailand’s COVID-19 taskforce will mull a proposal from the public health ministry to label 5 provinces, including Bangkok, “red zones”.
Under the proposal, nightlife venues in the red zones would be allowed to open only until 9 p.m. and they cannot serve alcohol.
