Thailand’s Pattaya City has gone into lockdown as a drastic measure to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the country.

A part of Chonburi Province, Pattaya City is a popular tourist destination known for its beaches, high-end resorts, and bustling nightlife.

Drastic measures, however, had to be taken to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Coronavirus situation in Thailand

As of this writing, Thailand reported 2,551 positive cases, with 38 deaths. However, recovery rate is high at 97%. As of April 11, 45 new cases have been added.

After the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the city rose to more than 30, a large-scale COVID-19 situation management committee was formed and is currently chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha.

This rise shows that Pattaya city has the most confirmed cases of the coronavirus infection in the whole of Chonburi province.

The Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense, through video conferencing with various agencies, earlier confirmed a need to reinforce a curfew in affected areas.

Pattaya City shuts down, other measures implemented

Specific measures in the province have been announced by the governor of Chonburi Province to lock down Pattaya City from April 9, which will last for 21 days.

In the lockdown period, only 5 checkpoints in the city would be open, under strict measures. This is to control the intensity of entry and exit of people into the city.

Both vehicles and individuals not living or working in the city will not be allowed to enter the city until the situation is resolved.

According to a report, the five checkpoints still open in the city are:

Soi Chaiporn Withi

Motorway Route 7 Section 5

Soi Pornprapha Nimit

Soi Chaiyaphreug

Sukhumvit Road (before the District Attorney Office)

In addition to the lockdown, residents were also required to wear face masks in public. More markets have also been reopened in order to manage the crowds.

However, the local government also added that any resident who had need to travel outside the city can apply for permission at any district office.

Tracing apps developed all over the world

France recently developed its own version of a contact-tracing mobile app that aids users in determining whether or not they have come into contact with somebody carrying the coronavirus.

Meanwhile, Google and Apple, two of the biggest names in tech, have also teamed up to develop a contact-tracing app that will be widely available via their respective app stores.

Singapore has also stated that they will be sharing their own contact tracing tech to the rest of the world.