After widespread criticism of his plan to begin reopening his province, the governor of Nonthaburi on Tuesday afternoon withdrew an order allowing some establishments to reopen.
Only one day after announcing he would lift the closure of businesses including barbers, lottery stalls and furniture stores; Nonthaburi Gov. Sujin Chaichumsak on Tuesday afternoon said lockdown measures would stay in place in the province, which spills across the capital’s northwest metropolitan area.
The retreat came after broad criticism that Nonthaburi, as the third province with third-most reported COVID-19 cases, shouldn’t ease lockdown measures soon. It also came as three of the 34 new infections announced this morning occurred in Nonthaburi.
Barbers, lottery tickets return as Nonthaburi moves to ease lockdown
“It’s not the time to open a barber shop. We’d better wait until April 30. If the situation gets worse, we all can prepare to die now,” Facebook user Aun Manoman wrote.
The prospect of a proper haircut seemed to weigh heavily on people’s minds.
“Can’t you just let your hair grow a bit longer? Or you can just cut your own hair. At this time, things are just really risky,” user Flamingo ChablUe said.
With Sujin’s reversal, the venues previously told they could reopen – which included barbers, beauty salons, lottery ticket stalls and a variety of other retailers – must instead remain closed until at least April 30.
With one exception: Mobile phone service shops inside department stores can reopen starting Wednesday, Sujin said.
As of Tuesday, Thailand has reported 2,613 infections and 41 fatalities since the outbreak began, though the actual numbers are likely much higher.
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Barbers, lottery tickets return as Nonthaburi moves to ease lockdown
