Starting from today, many businesses, attractions and public facilities will resume operations in Bangkok, as Thailand’s capital enters a third phase of the country’s COVID-19 restrictions being lifted.
According to a statement by the Bangkok Metropolitan Association (BMA), the city will be able to operate under a new, relaxed set of guidelines relating to businesses and public freedom of movement. The latest rollback of lockdown measures follows last week’s announcement that Thailand will lift all travel restrictions and resume international tourism activities from 1st July, 2020.
From today, all restaurants will be allowed to resume service, with groups permitted (provided social distancing remains in place – tables must be at least 1 metre apart). Hair salons, beauty centres, clinics and massage parlours will also be able to reopen, so long as they shut at regular intervals for cleaning. PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) will be mandatory in many places. Fitness clubs will also follow the same guidelines and be allowed to reopen to the public.
Venues used for meetings and conventions will also start doing business again, though with limits on the number of attendees permitted and a 9pm curfew in place. Other tourism attractions and activities centres – such as zoos, cinemas, dance halls, bowling alleys, water sports and team sport facilities – will also reopen to the public, again with physical distancing protocols in place.
The third phase of relaxation in Thailand’s COVID-19 restrictions follows a prolonged decrease in new cases and deaths over the last two weeks, suggesting Thailand has the virus under control. However, CCSA assistant spokeswoman Panprapa Yongtrakul recently stated that, while the number of COVID-19 infections has dropped, it doesn’t mean people should let their guard down.
“It is too early to be complacent. Dealing with the virus is a marathon, not a sprint,” she said.
Dr Prasit, who is advising the CCSA, added that every time a person goes outdoors, he or she is at risk of being infected or infecting other people when visiting congested places. Officials maintain that the only way to stay safe as lockdown restrictions are lifted, is to wear a face mask at all times while outdoors and wash hands regularly with sanitizer gel.
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