The government has allowed the reopening on Sunday of six types of businesses, such as markets and small eateries but not malls, in the first stage of relaxation of disease-control restrictions.
The relaxation applies nationwide and provincial governors may not ease restrictions in their provinces beyond what was announced, said Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration.
He also said the government had maintained the 10pm-4am curfew, restrictions on international travel and recommendations on working from home and minimising inter-provincial travel.
Dr Taweesilp said on Thursday that the first stage of the relaxation, effective on Sunday, covered six categories of activities:
- Fresh, flea, floating and community markets, as well as walking streets and vendors' stalls;
- Food, beverage, dessert and ice cream shops outside shopping centres, as well as food stalls, food trucks and hawkers;
- Retail and wholesale businesses (supermarkets, convenience stores, community shops and IT or telecom product shops, or grocery trucks);
- Recreational and sports businesses (park activities such as walking, tai chi, non-team and non-competitive sports such as tennis, shooting, archery, cycling and golfing at courses and driving ranges)
- Barbers and hair salons but only for hair washing, cutting and styling;
- Pet grooming shops and pet hotels
Dr Taweesilp said while the activities were allowed, operators had to implement disease-control measures such as cleaning, use of face masks for everyone, distancing and hand sanitisation.
If the daily new cases of coronavirus infection do not exceed 30 in 14 days after the reopening, more relaxation would come.
The government planned four stages of the relaxation, which will take two months for the full reopening of activities, provided the number of new cases is manageable.
But if new cases soar, the relaxation will be revoked, Dr Taweesilp said.
Crowded activities including concerts, football matches and boxing stadiums are set to reopen in the final stage of the relaxation.
