BANGKOK (AP) – The Thai tourist city of Pattaya and the surrounding district were shut down on Wednesday as the country continues to struggle with an intense outbreak of the coronavirus.
Health workers sprayed restaurants and other establishments as part of preventative measures.
The governor has ordered that non-essential shops in Banglamung district in Chonburi province, which includes Pattaya, southeast of Bangkok, be closed. Restaurants may only serve takeaways. The province also closed schools and ordered 24-hour convenience stores to close between 10pm and 5am
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha visited the city on Wednesday to offer his support to health workers in quarantine centers.
Thai media reported that it had expressed concern about the impact the new restrictions on Pattaya’s economy will have, which are heavily dependent on tourism but that it is necessary to concentrate on controlling the spread of the virus.
Thai officials on Wednesday reported 250 new cases of the coronavirus, including 241 local infections.
After months of seeming out of control over the COVID-19 situation, Thailand has developed two major groups since mid-December. One mainly infected hundreds of migrant workers from Myanmar at a seafood market near Bangkok, while in the past few days another group has grown associated with a gambling place in an eastern province.
Bangkok has been designated a Zone 2 area, which means that more than ten new cases have been confirmed there and that the number is likely to increase.
Earlier this week, officials in Bangkok announced new restrictions, including the closure of some entertainment facilities, during the New Year holidays.
Thailand confirmed a total of 6,690 cases, including 61 deaths.