BANGKOK, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Tougher restrictions are being imposed in Thailand's capital and surrounding provinces in an effort to curb rapidly increasing COVID-19 infections.
The Center for the COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) announced on Friday a set of new restrictions that will take effect from July 12, and will further limit people's movement in public.
The measures for Bangkok and five neighboring provinces include the closure of at-risk premises such as shopping centers, spas and massage parlors, and the stop of public transportation services earlier than usual at 9:00 p.m.
Furthermore, take-out restaurants, markets, convenience stores and public parks are obliged to close at 8:00 p.m.
The Thai government also imposed a curfew for the Bangkok Metropolitan Region and four southern provinces that also recorded high COVID-19 daily cases.
In these areas people are advised to stay at home between 9:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m., and to avoid gathering with more than five people.
From July 10, the government will set up checkpoints to minimize inter-provincial travel, especially movements out of provinces most affected by COVID-19.
Those announcement came after Thailand reported its second-highest daily record of 9,276 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, with 3,116 cases detected just in Bangkok.
The high infections in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region prompted the government to re-adjust the vaccine rollout, with 80 percent of vaccines supply to be allocated to senior residents and people with pre-existing conditions in this area in July.
The recent rapid increase in coronavirus cases was mainly attributed to the spread of the highly transmittable Delta variant, and the country is expected to see up to 10,000 new daily cases soon, CCSA warned.
A total of 72 deaths were recorded on Friday, the second consecutive day with fatalities over 70, raising the death toll to 2,534.
