Thailand has set a record for the daily number of Covid-19 deaths for the second consecutive day, just as authorities step up the response to a rapid third wave of infection after about a year of relative success slowing the novel coronavirus' spread.
The government reported 2,438 new coronavirus cases and 11 new deaths, bringing the total number of infections to 55,460 and fatalities to 140 since the pandemic started last year, according to Reuters.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on his Facebook page on Saturday said provincial governors can close public venues and impose curfews if necessary to stop the virus from spreading.
