BANGKOK (Xinhua) — Thailand’s northeastern province of Buri Ram and the eastern coastal province of Chon Buri have on Thursday announced on Thursday that they will relax lockdown restrictions starting from May 1, referring to improved COVID-19 situation in their provinces.
“In Buri Ram, we have 13 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the province, 10 have recovered, one had passed away and the rests are still in hospital,” said Buri Ram Governor Tatchakorn Hatthathayakul. “Because we have such small numbers of COVID-19 cases, Buri Ram should reopen so that residents can return back to their normal lives.”
Tatchakorn said he has agreed to the resumption of flea markets, pedestrian fresh and dried food areas, ready-cooked food vendors and farm produce sellers. Mobile food stalls can also open for business.
However all business operators must continue to wear face masks, follow the health guidelines and must display their ID cards that bear the “Buri Ram Healthy” sticker, Tatchakorn said.
The governor said that all residents who are over 15 years old, whether they are residents or not, will each be issued with a sticker to be attached to their ID cards or passports.
Anyone leaving the province will have the stickers removed and if they return to Buri Ram, they must enter the mandatory 14 days quarantine.
In regards to Chon Buri Province, Governor Pakkarathorn Thienchai also echoed Buri Ram’s decision to relax lockdown restriction rules.
Pakkarathorn said the province has so far reported 86 infections, and there were no new infections on Thursday.
He said 2,058 people were placed under medical investigation, 2,037 tested negative for the virus and 21 cases are still pending test results.
Chon Buri is a major key economic province in Thailand.