The global pandemic has exposed the terrible legacy of deliberately divisive and destructive policies that have perpetuated inequality, discrimination and oppression and paved the way for the devastation wrought by COVID-19, Amnesty International said in its annual report published on Tueday (6 April).

The Thai government is planning to have Buddhist temples nationwide perform a Buddhist prayer believed to expel diseases and misfortune from the country during their evening prayer routine to raise morale during the COVID-19 outbreak, while the Ministry of Public Health reports 60 new cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 272.