Bangkok bars may shut at 9pm amid ‘critical’ Covid situation
The latest scheme, I'll add analysis at the end:
Bangkok bars may shut at 9pm amid ‘critical’ Covid situation
PUBLISHED: 5 APR 2021 AT 17:41
WRITER: BLOOMBERG NEWS
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thai ... cal-covid-situation
The Health Ministry plans measures to limit the spread of Covid-19 ahead of the Thai New Year holiday next week, after new clusters of infections were detected in night-entertainment venues around metro Bangkok.
“The situation has reached a critical level, with a 48% positivity rate from these nightclub clusters,” Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Monday, adding that measures may include closures of clubs in districts that have reported new infections.
These new virus clusters are a repeat of outbreaks last year, when a high rate of infections were found among patrons and workers of bars and entertainment centres. The government reported 194 cases on Monday, a quarter of which were detected in the nation’s capital. The tally is also the highest single-day increase since March 23.
Thailand has lifted most of its strictest containment measures after an outbreak wave that started in December eased. But the latest clusters will likely force the government to reimpose some curbs ahead of the peak travel and celebration period, the Songkran Festival.
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Separately on Monday, Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, said the Health Ministry will propose that all restaurants, bars and nightclubs in Bangkok and four surrounding provinces be closed daily at 9pm and those venues cannot sell alcoholic beverages. These proposals, which will be effective for two weeks, will be submitted to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s subcommittee on Wednesday.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration also plans to prioritise some of its vaccines for residents and workers in a district that’s popular for night-time entertainment, according to Governor Aswin Kwanmuang. So far, more than 240,000 vaccine doses have been administered in Thailand, with about 42,000 people fully vaccinated.
They're proposing to do this for two weeks, although it's unclear whether alcohol can be sold before 21:00 or not. Will they actually do this?
My guess is yes, or maybe some variant like closing at 22:00. This new scheme is due to two factors: 1) Songkran is going ahead this year, 2) there have been reports of COVID clusters in night spots in the Thong Lo area. We know that public places serving alcohol helps create COVID clusters, it's happened in countries throughout the world (some of which are currently locked down with curfews etc). The ThaiGov has enacted two alcohol bans in the last year. Fair or not, economic damage, whatever, they've done it and they can do it again.
Songkran is typically celebrated by riotous drinking & partying, and a fair few of those revelers roar off on their motorscooters right into a palm tree. Wikipedia says that Thailand has the second-highest traffic fatality rate in the world, but during Songkran: "Police statistics show that the death toll from road accidents doubles during the annual Songkran holiday. Between 2009 and 2013 there were about 27 road deaths per day during non-holiday periods and an average of 52 road deaths per day during Songkran."
At the same time, they extended the holiday to five days pre-COVID and of course, it's a tourist draw. Khao San Road does great business. And dig this, again from Wikipedia: " In 2014 "Celebrate Singapore," a large two-day Songkran-style water festival, was planned for Singapore and the event was promoted as the "largest water festival party in Singapore". However, controversy emerged when the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Deputy Governor for Tourism Products, Vilaiwan Twichasri, claimed that Thailand holds exclusive rights to celebrate Songkran..."
So they want the celebrations and the money, but not the highway carnage--whether they want tourists or not is a moot point as entry to Thailand is limited at the moment. Anyway, it was decided that Songkran would happen this year, and they may force bars/pubs to shut for two weeks during this time, because it's their kneejerk response to COVID clusters. In Bangkok and four other provinces. As ever, we shall see what actually happens.
JtB | |
