It was a surprise for Krabi people driving down Maharaja Road when they saw four big, ancient statues of human beings stand majestically at the traffic lights, wearing a face mask, a headband and an armband with the national tricolour.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending that Americans wear basic cloth masks in public to prevent spreading the coronavirus, President Donald Trump announced Friday, reversing earlier guidance on the subject as the epidemic continues to balloon across the United States.