BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand on Saturday extended a ban on international passenger flights until the end of June, the country’s aviation regulator said, as new cases in the country dwindle.

The Civil Aviation Authority’s ban extends a previous order that was set to run until the end of May.

The announcement comes as the country begins to relax local restrictions after reporting single-digit increases of infections from the new coronavirus this month.

On Sunday the government will allow malls and department stores to re-open. It will also shorten a nighttime curfew by one hour, to 2300 to 0400, from 2200 to 0400.

The aviation regulator first introduced the suspension of international flights in April in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Thailand has reported a total of 3,025 cases of the coronavirus and 56 fatalities.

(Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng; Editing by Sam Holmes and Christina Fincher)

tagreuters.com2020binary_LYNXMPEG4F06B-VIEWIMAGE

Author