Thailand imposes night curfew in Bangkok amid surge in virus

Amid a surge in coronavirus cases in the country, Thai authorities on Thursday imposed night curfew in Bangkok including in ten provinces to combat the spread of the virus.

The country on Thursday reported 9,276, with 72 fatalities as authorities moved to halt non-essential travel and ordered people not to leave their house after 9pm until 4am.

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Bangkok has witnessed a surge in cases as officials ordered beauty parlours, malls including popular spa and massage shops to close from Monday.

Last month authorities had reimposed restrictions in Bangkok halting work in construction sites and ordered restaurants to close in order to contain a wave of coronavirus cases.

Officials had detected a coronavirus cluster in Bangkok's upscale clubs including in overcrowded prisons as it opened checkpoints in southern provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala and Songkhla.

The government's coronavirus task force issued orders to work from home with residents barred from gathering in groups of more than five people.

However, authorities have allowed supermarkets, banks and pharmacies to remain open while shutting down public transport from 9 pm. 

The virus disruption has hit the tourism sector hard which generates at least 20 per cent of the country's national income. 

The authorities had tried to kick-start travel in the popular holiday island of Phuket allowing quarantine-free holidays to vaccinated travellers, however, not many travellers have signed up so far even as the government announced plans to allow travellers who have been fully vaccinated from October.

Phuket had closed most of its hotels for over a year, however, reports say two-thirds of Phuket's population has been vaccinated. 

However, authorities had put other restrictions with travellers asked to stay at the holiday destination for at least 14 days if they wished to travel across the country and to take three coronavirus tests.

(With inputs from Agencies)