Dutch authorities scrambled on Saturday to see if 61 passengers from South Africa who tested positive for Covid-19 have the new Omicron strain, as the shutters came down around the world to contain the new variant.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has warned Thais to avoid travelling to countries where a new Covid-19 variant first detected in South Africa has been found.

Thailand logged 6,073 new Covid-19 cases and 32 fatalities on Friday, the Public Health Ministry announced on Saturday morning.

Night entertainment venues will not be allowed to open before Jan 16 as the government has extended the emergency decree for another two months, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) confirmed on Friday.