COVID-19: Thailand records 305 new cases, another death

By Linda Khoo

BANGKOK, Jan 7 -- Thailand recorded 305 new COVID-19 cases and one death over the last 24 hours, bringing the tally in the kingdom to 9,636 cases and 67 fatalities.

The single fatality involved an 88-year-old Thai man with cancer. He caught the virus from his son who visited a high-risk area in Rayong province and died at the hospital on Wednesday.

The Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) spokesman, Thaweesilp Wissanuyothin said of the 305 new COVID-19 cases, 193 were local transmissions, 109 were active cases detected in Samut Sakhon while three were imported cases.

“To date, 5,115 patients are still receiving treatment at hospitals and migrant worker dormitories,” he said at the COVID-19 daily briefing today. 

Thaweesilp said the government imposed tighter measures to control inter-province travel in five red zones or highly-controlled provinces, namely, Samut Sakhon, Chonburi, Rayong, Trat and Chanthaburi, in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the kingdom.

“More checkpoints are being set up in these provinces and people need approval documents from the local authorities for inter-province travel,” he said. 

The latest outbreak in Thailand which started at a seafood market in Samut Sakhon in mid-December has spread to 56 provinces in the kingdom.

The other clusters detected in the kingdom included illegal gambling dens in Rayong, cockfighting rings in Ang Thong and several entertainment outlets in the Pin Klao area of Bangkok.

Meanwhile, Disease Control Department director-general, Dr Opas Karnkawinpong said the number of COVID-19 cases in the kingdom was increasing at a slow pace.

“We will continue the active case detection and contact tracing to contain the COVID-19 outbreak,” he added.

-- BERNAMA