BANGKOK (AP) – The Thai tourist city of Pattaya and the surrounding district were locked up on Wednesday as the country continues to grapple with an increasing outbreak of the corona virus.
Health workers sprayed restaurants and other facilities as part of preventive measures.
The governor ordered the closure of non-essential stores in Banglamung District of Chonburi Province, including Pattaya, southeast of Bangkok. Restaurants are only allowed to serve take out. The province has also closed schools and has ordered the closure of 24-hour shops between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha visited the city on Wednesday to lend his support to health workers in quarantine centers.
Thai media reported that he expressed concern about the effect the new restrictions will have on Pattaya’s economy, which relies heavily on tourism, but said it was necessary to focus on controlling the spread of the virus .
Thai officials reported 250 new cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday, including 241 local transmissions.
After months when the COVID-19 situation seemed to be under control, Thailand has seen two large clusters emerge since mid-December. One has mainly infected hundreds of migrant workers from Myanmar in a fish market near Bangkok, while another cluster has grown in recent days with a gambling hole in an eastern province.
Bangkok has been designated a Zone 2 area, meaning more than 10 new cases have been confirmed there, and the number is likely to increase.
Earlier this week, officials in Bangkok announced new restrictions, including the closing of some entertainment venues during the New Year holidays.
Thailand has confirmed a total of 6,690 cases, including 61 deaths.