Two Thai Provinces Loosen Lockdowns as New Virus Cases Drop

(Bloomberg) -- Two provinces in Thailand are loosening partial lockdowns following a recent drop in the rate of new coronavirus infections.

Nonthaburi, a province bordering Bangkok, allowed retailers of mobile phones and related services to reopen Wednesday. Udon Thani, whose 1.6 million people are a key labor source for the capital, aims to relax some restrictions as early as Saturday.

Thailand remains under a state of emergency through April that bans social gatherings and forced many businesses to shut. But, as in some other countries, there are signs officials are mulling how to emerge from the partial lockdown. Provincial governors have the authority to adjust curbs.

Udon Thani will start relaxing rules “but with social distancing guidelines,” for example allowing people to dine at restaurants, Governor Nirat Pongsitthithaworn said in a briefing Tuesday. That’s providing there are no new virus cases in the 14 days through April 17, he said.

Thailand has reported on average about 39 new infections daily in the past seven days, compared with tallies of more than 100 earlier. Total cases stand at 2,643. The government and business councils next week are expected to outline a time-line for reopening parts of the economy.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha said in a briefing Wednesday officials will assess the situation as the expiration of the state-of-emergency approaches. Under the relevant decree, the end date is April 30.

“If we ease the rules, it will be gradual, not all at once,” he said. “We need to have measures in place to prevent a resurgence of the outbreak. All businesses need to be ready with preventive measures when they reopen.”

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