COVID-19: Thailand confirms six news cases including 6-year-old boy

Thailand has reported six new COVID-19 cases, including a six-year-old boy and zero fatalities bringing the total to 3,015 cases with the death toll remaining at 56.

Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) spokesman Thaweesilp Wissanuyothin said all cases are in southern provinces including four cases were from the tourist island of Phuket.

"A 6-year-old boy from Narathiwat was tested positive for COVID-19 after his father was diagnosed with the deadly virus while another new case involves a 22-year-old man from Yala who was detected in active COVID-19 case finding in the province," he said in the COVID-19 daily briefing here today.

Of 3,015 COVID-19 cases reported in Thailand, a total of 2,796 patients have recovered and returned home.

On second phase of easing restrictions, Thaweesilp said among businesses and venues that are listed to reopen including shopping malls (exclude theater, bowling alleys and amulets shops) , restaurants and food courts in buildings, retail and wholesale shops.

Besides that, he said beauty clinics and nail salons, sports and recreation venues including open air stadiums (closed-door competition and matches without spectators), museums, public library and massage parlour (only foot massage) are among listed to resume business.

"It is a draft and the list could change. We reveal the list in advance to enable operators to make the necessary preparations.

"Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan o-cha will chair a meeting to finalise businesses and venues which will be reopened in the second phase of restriction ease on May 15," he said.

On May 3, six types of businesses and venues nationwide have been reopened 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 (limited to cut, shampoo and blow) and pet grooming and pet hotels.

Thaweesilp said the relevant authorities have conducted thorough checks at 18,000 premises including restaurants and cafes, hair salons and barbershops, supermarkets in malls, parks and golf courses and found 449 of them failed to meet the health safety guidelines.

--BERNAMA