(Bloomberg) -- Thailand ordered the closure of entertainment venues in its capital city and 40 other provinces for at least two weeks to contain a flareup in coronavirus infections ahead of the nation’s biggest annual festival.

Bars, pubs, karaoke and massage parlors will remain closed until April 23, Taweesilp Visanuyothin, a spokesman for the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said in Bangkok on Friday after the measure was approved by a panel headed by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha. Provincial governors will have the power to extend the shutdown or revoke them early if the situation improves, he said.

Authorities in Bangkok had already shuttered almost 200 nightlife entertainment venues early this week after they emerged as the epicenter of the latest spike with tests showing prevalence of more virulent U.K. variant of the virus. The resurgence in outbreak ahead of the Thai New Year festivities next week is likely to hit hard the economy and delay plans to gradually lift curbs on vaccinated foreign tourists.

Thailand has added more than 2,000 new cases this month with a majority of them being traced to the new clusters in Bangkok. The resurgence has weighed on the nation’s stocks and currency with the benchmark SET Index of stocks heading for its first weekly loss in three. Baht has lost 0.4% against the U.S. dollar this week, poised for an eighth week of declines.

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