Thailand is slowly getting the corona wave, which has been raging in large parts of the country, under control for months. On Tuesday, the authorities reported fewer than 15,000 new infections within 24 hours for the first time in a month. In mid-August the number was still at record levels of more than 22,000.
Last week, the state corona crisis center had already announced the easing of the strict lockdown in the hard-hit “dark red zones”. This also includes the capital Bangkok. As of Wednesday, restaurants are allowed to open again until 8 p.m. Domestic air traffic will also be resumed. Nocturnal exit restrictions between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m. should initially continue to apply.
Was considered a model country last year
However, it is no longer the aim of the authorities to completely eradicate the virus, said Pensom Lertsithichai, a spokeswoman for the State Department. “We are preparing the country for a gradual return to the ‘new normal’ in which we learn to coexist with Covid-19 while at the same time making our everyday lives as normal as possible, but also as safe as possible.”
Last year, Thailand was still considered a model country in the fight against the pandemic – but since April the state has experienced its worst wave to date. So far, only about ten percent of the 70 million inhabitants are fully vaccinated. Some regions, including the largest islands Phuket and Ko Samui, have been trying for a few weeks to restart the important tourism sector thanks to special projects. (SDA)