Officials in Thailand's capital city Bangkok say they are preparing to ease restrictions that were imposed to fight the spread of COVID-19, including the reopening of restaurants under strict conditions.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration announced Wednesday that it hopes to lift restrictions on eight kinds of establishments it had ordered closed through April 30.
It will allow the reopenings if they are in accord with guidelines to be set by the national Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration by the end of this week.
The city's plans call for the reopening of restaurants, markets, exercise venues, parks, hairdressers and barbers, clinics and nursing homes, animal hospitals and pet salons, and golf courses and driving ranges.
Restaurants will have to keep their seats at least 1.5 meters (5 feet) apart and practice a wide range of sanitary measures, beginning with taking the temperature of customers and staff and including the circulation of fresh air.
Thai health authorities confirmed nine new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, bringing the total to 2,947, including 54 deaths.