The government will consider further easing restrictions to allow nightlife entertainment venues to reopen in high surveillance "yellow zones", according to Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.
The loosened measures will proceed step-by-step to ensure public health safety, Mr Anutin said yesterday.
''The government wants to see as many businesses as possible resume operations in order to boost economic recovery,'' he said.
On Friday, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) approved the reopening of night entertainment outlets in 31 provinces from June 1 but they will still be required to close at midnight.
The 31 provinces, with 14 reclassified as green zones in the CCSA's colour-coded Covid-19 situation zoning and 17 recognised as blue zones, will still be required to follow the Covid-Free Setting measures set by the Ministry of Public Health, he said.
The other 46 provinces remain high-surveillance yellow zones.
''The prime minister has stressed that if they fail to follow the proper measures, authorities must enforce the law,'' Mr Anutin said.
He added that the CCSA would need a month to consider whether to drop the Thailand Pass registration requirement for foreign visitors.
On Friday, the CCSA decided to scrap the requirement for Thai nationals returning from abroad by air from June 1.
Meanwhile, Thailand registered 5,377 new cases of Covid-19 and 37 more fatalities during the previous 24 hours, the Public Health Ministry announced yesterday.
Bangkok continued to report the most daily cases at 1,898, followed by 164 in Surin, 159 in Buri Ram, 152 in Khon Kaen, 117 in Samut Prakan, 106 in Ubon Ratchathani, 105 each in Chon Buri and Kalasin, 95 in Roi Et and 89 in Nakhon Si Thammarat.