People practice social distancing as they sit on chairs spread apart in a waiting area for take-away food orders at a shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, March 24, 2020. (File photo: AP)

Bangkok (People's Daily) - Thailand on Monday confirmed 28 new cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus, bringing the total to 2,579 including 80 doctors and nurses since the virus first arrived in the kingdom in January.

A total of 1,251 patients remain hospitalized, 1,288 have recovered and returned home, and 40 others died from complications related to the disease, according to Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health.

Thailand has enforced a national curfew from 10 pm to 4 am starting April 3. All nationals except medics, emergency workers and personnel delivering medical supplies and patients, are urged to stay at home. There are about 1,000 checkpoints by policeman across the country.

The pace of new infections has decreased to about 50 a day from 100 before the curfew was put in place.