Bangkok to ban alcohol sales to curb virus

Sales of alcoholic beverages will be banned in Thailand's cal Bangkok for a 10-day period starting Friday as part of the effort to contain the spread of COVID-19 infections. Bars and restaurants were ordered to stop onsite services last month.

Officials said the alcohol ban was necessary because people were flouting social distancing rules by holding drinking parties even as the number of coronavirus cases keeps rising.

Thailand's annual Songkran Lunar New Year festival falls within the no-sales period. The holiday is usually celebrated by raucous merrymaking and much drinking, which contributes to a spike in traffic deaths.

The official April 13-15 holiday has already been postponed and organized celebrations canceled because of the crowds they would attract.

At least 11 other provinces have already ordered temporary bans on alcohol sales, including the major tourist destination of Chiang Mai in the north.

Health officials on Thursday confirmed 54 new cases of the disease, bringing the nation's total to 2,423, with Bangkok accounting for about half of them. Nationwide, the death toll increased by two to 32, and the number of recovered patients totaled 940.