Thailand to shut construction sites, seal off camps to contain virus

BANGKOK: Thailand will close hundreds of construction sites and prevent workers from leaving their camps for a month, its prime minister said on Friday, in an effort to tackle the country's worst coronavirus outbreak so far.

The order followed the emergence of more clusters in construction camps in the capital, which has 575 such sites in total housing about 81,000 workers. Since May, 37 clusters have been found in Bangkok camps. Sites in some provinces near Bangkok and four in the south near Malaysia will also be closed from next week.