Residents in a village in Thailand are hanging pieces of holy basil outside their homes to protect them from Covid-19.

Footage from Thursday (April 2) afternoon shows locals in Khon Kaen, northeast Thailand, collecting the herbs and hanging them on properties and gates.

The sub-district deputy governor Surasith Nanrueng said this is a traditional method that people in the area have used for hundreds of years when diseases are spreading.

He said: "This is the way that we were taught by our ancestors, they used to do this during the cholera pandemic."

Sontaya Sriphaya, 61, said that hanging the holy basil has calmed her mind about the situation. But she said she will not be careless and will still wash her hands regularly and avoid large crowds.

She said: "Our traditional belief is that holy basil can kill the virus in the air so I feel some relief by doing this.

"However, I am aware that this is only a belief so I have also followed the measure given by the government to help stop the pandemic."