Thailand Mulls Accelerating Reopening of Bars as Infections Ease

(Bloomberg) -- Thailand considers allowing bars and nightclubs to reopen ahead of its earlier schedule of January 16 as the country’s Covid-19 active cases dropped to four-month low.

The Southeast Asian nation’s virus task force will review proposals from business operators next week before deciding on the reopening of night entertainment venues, which have been closed since April, Supot Malaniyom, secretary-general of the National Security Council, said on Friday.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha-led task force will also consider adding more nations to its current list of 63 places eligible for quarantine-free travel from December 1 to boost the tourism-reliant economy. More than 50,000 visitors have arrived in Thailand under the quarantine waiver program since its nationwide reopening on November 1.

The number of active cases has fallen to 89,821 on Friday, the lowest since July 11, while the average daily infection rate has dropped to 6,700 cases this week from a peak of more than 20,000, Health Ministry data showed. Nearly 65% of the population have received at lease one shot, while 53% have received two doses.

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