Thailand reported 38 new coronavirus infections and the death of a 54-year-old man yesterday, a spokesman for a government agency said.
In addition to 16 new cases, including imported ones, there are 17 patients linked to previous cases and five people who tested positive but await investigation into how they caught the disease, said Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a spokesman of the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration.
Since the outbreak in January, Thailand’s tally stands at 2,258 infections and 27 deaths. Eight hundred twenty four patients have recovered and gone home.
The government has approved a 1.9tn-baht ($58bn) plan to help in the fight against the
coronavirus pandemic.
Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana said yesterday after a cabinet meeting that it has approved measures for the Finance Ministry to borrow 1tn baht, which will be used to help the health-care sector and revive the economy.
Uttama said the ministry will borrow mostly from domestic sources using the Thai currency but added that the measures do not forbid borrowing from
foreign currencies.
Yesterday’s measures also direct Thailand’s central bank to utilise an around 900bn-baht ($27bn) budget to issue soft loans and maintain stability among
the country’s financial systems.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday officially added the coronavirus pandemic to the national agenda.
The cabinet meeting also resolved to postpone the reopening of schools from May 16 to July 1, government spokeswoman Narumon Pinyosinwat said.
Thailand has been under a state of emergency since March 26 which will last until at least April 30.
A nationwide daily curfew between 10pm and 4am (1500 to 2100 GMT) started on Friday.
Bangkok and other major provinces have closed most places where people meet such as malls, sports clubs and bars.
Restaurants are only allowed to offer take-away and deliveries.
On Monday, Thailand’s aviation body extended a ban on all incoming international
passenger flights until April 18.
An employee disinfects carts at a supermarket in a shopping mall, closed to combat the spread of the Covid-19 novel coronavirus, in Bangkok yesterday.
