BANGKOK, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Thailand is not enforcing a 24-hour curfew to stem the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the country as rumored on social media, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was quoted as saying on Wednesday.

Deputy army chief Gen. Natthaphon Nakphanich quoted the prime minister as saying that no 24-hour curfew will be enforced as widely rumored on social media.

The deputy army chief said Prayut, who concurrently acts as the head of the Center for the COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), has been concerned about the welfare of elderly persons staying home alone without anyone else to bring them food and those who have to leave home to make earnings on a daily basis, thus deciding against the possibility of a 24-hour curfew.

Thailand, which is currently under a six-hour curfew between 10.00 p.m. and 04.00 a.m., reported 111 new cases of COVID-19 infection on Wednesday, making a total of 2,369, including 30 fatalities, according to CCSA spokesman Thaveesilp Wisanuyothin.

He repeatedly called on people to stay home as much as possible to reduce risks of infection.