Public spaces closed in Bangkok as coronavirus surges

Bangkok closed down its remaining open public spaces Friday after coronavirus infections began to surge in the region.

According to The Associated Press, public spaces including parks, hair salons and barbershops were officially closed. Thailand’s capital had already implemented a lockdown to curb the spread of the virus.

Nearly 14,575 new coronavirus cases and 114 deaths have been reported by the country’s health ministry. Most of the newly recorded deaths occurred since April after the country celebrated several holidays where there were “spreader” events, the AP noted.

The move to close public spaces came after people who suffered from COVID-19 were found dead in the streets of the city. Thailand Prime Minister Prayuth Cha-o-cha called for government officials to find ways to get people sick with COVID-19 into hospitals and off the streets.

“Most importantly, we have to think what we can do to reduce the number of infected cases that are waiting for ambulances at home or on streets,” Prayuth said during a Thursday morning meeting, according to the AP.

“This picture must not be seen again. It is the responsibility of every agency, not only the Public Health Ministry. Several involved agencies need to figure out how to bring these patients to field hospitals,” he added.

Bangkok had seen a swell in the number of people dying from COVID-19 who were unable to find service at hospitals. Somboon Kwan-on, chief of the Disaster Relief Unit of the Poh Teck Tung Foundation, a local charity, said his team had been picking up eight to 10 bodies a day.

Hospital beds have been scarce as Thailand officials have sought to isolate and hospitalize anyone who tests positive for the virus, the AP reported.

The country has also suffered from lack of vaccine supply. Nearly 11.8 million people, just 17.1 percent of the country’s 69 million population, have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine.