Bangkok closes public spaces as virus surges in Thailand

Thailand’s already locked down capital shut parks and the few remaining public places available to residents Friday, as the country registered a new high of coronavirus infections.

The near-total restriction on movements in the capital came as the prime minister demanded officials find ways to get the sick into hospitals after people with COVID-19 were found dead on the streets of Bangkok.

The Health Ministry reported 14,575 new cases and 114 deaths around the country, bringing deaths since the pandemic began last year to 3,811. Nearly all of the deaths happened since April following a number of spreading events and public holidays. The biggest concentration of cases and deaths has been in the capital. About 15 million people live in the Bangkok metropolitan area.

Prime Minister Prayuth Cha-o-cha’s government has come under increasing fire for its management of a delta variant-fueled surge and slow vaccination program. His government has come under severe criticism after reports that people waiting for treatment died in the streets and in their homes.

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