A northern province in Thailand has banned the sale of alcohol in an effect to control the spread of coronavirus.

The sale of alcohol is now prohibited in Sakon Nakhon province until at least April 16, affecting the province's one million residents.

The ban is designed to stop the popular practice of group drinking in homes, which could lead to the spread of the virus, Bloomberg reports.

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Violating the ban could lead to a year in prison or a fine of 100,000 baht, or $5000.

And Thailand's other provinces may follow suit if the nation's coronavirus cases keep surging. As of this morning, there are 1651 cases of the virus in Thailand and 10 deaths.

“The government is pleading with citizens to avoid all social gatherings during this time,” a spokesman for Thailand's COVID-19 centre said on Tuesday, local time, Bloomberg reported.

He said each provincial governor has authority to issue stricter measures.

Thailand has the highest alcohol consumption per capita in Southeast Asia, according to the World Health Organisation.

The country imposed a one-month state of emergency last week in response to the coronavirus crisis, allowing the government to impose curfews and tighter control on media.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said the government would also consider further bans on alcohol sales, as well as sporting events and gambling, to stem the rate of infections, the Bangkok Post reported.

The Thai government is also looking at cutting all public transport services to prevent large movements of people as residents flee Bangkok for their home provinces in the wake of lockdowns.