COVID-19: Thailand continues to record single-digit new cases

Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) spokesman Thaweesilp Wissanuyothin said of the five new cases, three were Thai nationals returning from abroad - a 41-year-old Thai woman who returned from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and two Thai men aged 26 and 27 back from Pakistan.

He said another two cases are linked to previously confirmed cases - one in Bangkok and one in the southern province of Narathiwat.

However, he said the figures for today excluded four positive cases detected on the resort island of Phuket and they will be included in tomorrow's tally.

"As the COVID-19 situation in Thailand continues to improve, Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan o-cha will chair a meeting on May 15 to finalise businesses and venues that will be reopened in the second phase of restriction ease.

"Public health and safety will be the government's top priority over the economy," he said at the COVID-19 daily briefing here today.

Thailand has extended an emergency decree to combat the pandemic until May 31. However, six types of businesses and venues nationwide have been reopened from May 3 with guidelines to avoid a second wave of COVID-19 infection.

They are markets, eateries outside shopping malls, wholesale and retail businesses, parks and outdoor sports facilities, barbershops and hair salons (only limited to cut, shampoo and blow) and pet grooming and pet hotels.

Preventive measures including a ban on incoming international passenger flights, night curfew from 10 pm to 4 am, prohibiting inter-provincial travel and mass gathering continue under the emergency decree.

Thailand is set to implement the second phase of easing restrictions including the reopening of bigger premises such as shopping malls and departmental stores on May 17.