Thailand Reports 64 New Covid-19 Cases, 18 in Bangkok Alone

Bangkok has led in terms of new local Covid-19 cases in Thailand on Saturday, with 18 new cases, as 110 cases were added in total. Of the new covid-19 cases, 64 were infected locally; 30 were migrant workers found infected through active case finding in Samut Sakhon; and 16 were arrivals in quarantine from 10 countries, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration.

Of the new local infections, three were Myanmar nationals and the rest were Thais. The cases were found in the capital and 16 provinces, led by Bangkok (18), Phetchaburi (10), Samut Prakan (7), Chai Nat (5), Ratchaburi (4), Nakhon Ratchasima (3) and Rayong (3). (see map below)

Saraburi, Satun, Chachoengsao and Chaiyaphum saw two new cases each while Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, Trang, Khon Kaen, Pichit and Songkhla reported one case each according to the Bangkok Post.

Of this group, 60 were linked to the Samut Sakhon cluster; three were in contact with previously confirmed cases; and one was under investigation. Among the 30 new migrant worker cases in Samut Sakhon, more than 90% showed no symptoms, said the CCSA.

Imported covid-19 cases in quarantine

The 16 imported cases were from Russia (4); the United States (3); Myanmar (2); India (1); Saudi Arabia (1); Turkey (1); the United Kingdom (1); Mozambique (1); Germany (1) and France (1). Of them, 11 were Thais.

The Disease Control Department held a briefing on Saturday afternoon about a new cluster it had found — a gambling den in Rayong province.

Director Opas Karnkavinpong said nine new cases had been reported from there and the test results of four others had yet to be confirmed, he said. He pointed out the re-emerging of cases in Thailand since last week previously originated from two clusters.

The first was the central shrimp market in Samut Sakhon where 10,411 people were tested as of Saturday and 1,337 or 12.8% were found to be infected, he said.

The disease then spread from there to 33 nearby provinces, with 234 others infected, such as Bangkok, with an accumulated number of 77, Samut Prakan (18), Nonthaburi (13), Phetchaburi (12), Samut Songkhram (11), Saraburi (8), Krabi (8), Nakhon Pathom (7) and Chachoengsao (7).

The second cluster was linked to a big bike party on Lanta Islands in Krabi province on Dec 9, where 19 people were infected, he said. However, it was under control as the guests had registered before entering.

Thailand ranked 144th

Of the total 6,020 cases in Thailand to date, 4,152, or 69%, recovered. Including 15 discharged from hospitals over the past 24 hours, while 1,808 remain in hospitals. Thailand’s covid-19 death toll also remains unchanged at 60.

Of the accumulative cases, 2,524 were in the Central Plains, 2,402 in Bangkok and Nonthaburi, 762 in the South, 202 in the North and 130 in the Northeast, said the CCSA. Global Covid-19 cases rose by 472,443 over the previous 24 hours to 80.2 million. The worldwide death toll also rose by 8,374 to 1.75 million.

The US had the most cases at 19.21 million, up 98,840, followed by India with 10.16 million, up  22,350. Thailand is also ranked 144th in the world for covid-19 infection cases.

Emergence decree tightened

Meanwhile, Thailand’s Prime Minister has signed an order curbing mass gatherings and restricted movement in and out of disease-control areas. The order also restricts movement of migrant workers. The new rules will also be strictly enforced under the emergency decree, above all to curb the new outbreak of Covid-19.

The announcement published in the Royal Gazette on Friday. Its details a set of regulations under Section 9 of the decree, which was first imposed nationwide on March 26. The emergency decree has been extended several times since then. The latest extension is valid until Jan 15, 2021.

The announcement said that the government has regularly issued disease-control measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease. As a new wave of infections has occurred in some areas, authorities have increased the effectiveness of measures to deal swiftly with the situation. The strict measures were implemented to prevent the pandemic from spiraling out of control.

CCSA Covid-19 case map Thailand- Click Here