Thailand reports 136 new coronavirus cases, two more deaths
A man wearing a protective face mask walks, during the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Bangkok, Thailand March 29, 2020. REUTERS/Jorge Silva
Thailand reported 136 new coronavirus cases and two new deaths on Monday, raising the total number of infections to 1,524 and fatalities to nine.
Popular tourist resort island Phuket, in southern Thailand, began a partial lockdown on Monday, when it started closing beaches and all points of entry and exit except air travel until the end of April.
The new cases were scattered across 18 of Thailand's 77 provinces. The capital Bangkok now accounts for nearly half of the cases overall.
People wearing protective face masks walk, during the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Bangkok, Thailand March 29, 2020. REUTERS/Jorge Silva
"Cases in Bangkok remain high, but numbers in the provinces are fluctuating," said Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a spokesman for the government's Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).
The government introduced a state of emergency last week, banning most foreigners from entry and closing public facilities and businesses in major cities until April 30.
Among the new cases, 71 were linked to known clusters from a boxing ring and entertainment venues, or came into contact with previous patients, while 21 were returnees from risky areas.
A man wears a face mask due to the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Bangkok, Thailand, March 30, 2020. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha
The two new deaths reported on Monday were a 54-year-old Thai man in the southern province of Yala who had recently returned from Malaysia, and a 56-year-old Thai woman in Bangkok, said Anupong Sujariyakul, an official at the health ministry's Department of Disease Control.
Three southern provinces, Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani, were put on higher alert over the past week due to many cases there being linked to a mosque gathering in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, last month.
A man wearing a protective face mask walks as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Bangkok, Thailand March 30, 2020. REUTERS/Jorge Silva
(Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat and Patpicha Tanakasempipat; Writing by Patpicha Tanakasempipat; Editing by Kay Johnson and Alex Richardson)
People wear protective face masks and follow social distancing rules, due to the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), as they queue at a post office in Bangkok, Thailand, March 30, 2020. REUTERS/Athit PerawongmethaPeople wearing protective face masks, due to the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), queue and pay for their groceries at a supermarket in Bangkok, Thailand, March 30, 2020. REUTERS/Athit PerawongmethaPongchana, Nevada Kumlakasing and Suntis Suntudkan study at home during the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Bangkok, Thailand, March 30, 2020. REUTERS/Athit PerawongmethaPongchana, Nevada Kumlakasing and Suntis Suntudkan study at home during the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Bangkok, Thailand, March 30, 2020. REUTERS/Athit PerawongmethaA screen shows Nevada Kumlakasing's teacher wearing a protective face mask as she studies at home during the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Bangkok, Thailand, March 30, 2020. REUTERS/Athit PerawongmethaNongnuch 43, sits next to her nephew Suntis Suntudkan, 4, who is studying at home during the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), as her son Pongchana Kumlakasing, 7, plays around, at their house in Bangkok, Thailand, March 30, 2020. REUTERS/Athit PerawongmethaFILE PHOTO: General view of a beach which usually full with tourists following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Pattaya, Thailand March 27, 2020. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun
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