PHITSANULOK: Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat Woramahawihan, a renowned Buddhist temple in this central northern province, has been closed from Aug 1-31 by the provincial communicable disease committee to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.
On Sunday morning, all three front gates of the temple were closed. Signs have been put up to notify the public of the closure. The temple, which usually draws hundreds of tourists and worshippers per day, was completely quiet.
The temple located on the east bank of the Nan river is well-known for its golden Buddha image, called Phra Phuttha Chinnarat, which is considered by some Thais to be the most beautiful in the country.
On Saturday, governor Ronnachai Jitwiset, as chairman of the provincial communicable disease committee, issued an order for B2 Hotel to close for three days from Aug 1-3 after a hotel employee was found infected with Covid-19 on July 27. In subsequent Covid-19 testing of people deemed at-risk, seven others tested positive for the virus.
Eighty-two new Covid cases were reported in the province on Saturday -- 25 who contracted the virus within the province and 57 others who returned from high-risk provinces.
As of Saturday, the accumulated number of provincial infections was 1,878. Of them, 782 had recovered, five died and 1,050 were still in treatment.