The government on Thursday reported 305 new Covid-19 cases - 193 local infections, 109 from active testing and three arrivals - raising the total to 9,636, and one more death lifted the fatality toll to 67.

Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said the latest death was a Thai man, aged 88, who also had cancer and was bed-ridden.

He caught Covid-19 from his son, who had been in an at-risk area in Rayong province. The son visited him at home on Dec 22, later tested positive for the disease and was admitted to a hospital in Rayong.

On Jan 2, the elderly man began coughing, with excessive phlegm, diarrhea and a mild fever. He tested positive the following day. His conditions deteriorated on Jan 4 and he died on Wednesday morning, the spokesman said.

New cases over the previous 24 hours included 46 in Bangkok, 37 in Samut Sakhon, 27 in Chon Buri, 25 in Samut Prakan, 23 in Rayong, 8 in Chanthaburi.

Active testing found 109 new cases in Samut Sakhon alone. Of them, 107 are migrants.

Three infected arrivals came from Russia, Turkey and Myanmar.

Another is a Thai woman, 27, who worked at an entertainment place in Myanmar and sneaked back to Mae Sot district of Tak on Jan 4. She was admitted to Maesot General Hospital.

"New cases are still rising at a concerning pace," Dr Taweesilp said.

Of the total 9,636 cases, 4,521 (46.9%) had recovered, including 103 discharged over the previous 24 hours, and 5,048 were receiving treatment.

Dr Taweesilp said  the government was trying to contain Covid-19 by "causing  inconvenience" for people who wanted to travel to and from five Covid-19-plagued provinces of Samut Sakhon, Chon Buri, Rayong, Trat and Chanthaburi and 23 adjacent provinces.

Officials were operating checkpoints on both main and minor roads linking the provinces. People who needed to travel between the provinces must show official documents to prove their travel was necessary. Their employers could issue such documents, he said.

At checkpoints, officials would check their temperature, travel papers and travel records, Dr Taweesilp said.

Meanwhile, global Covid-19 cases increased by 781,103 over 24 hours to 87.64 million. The worldwide death toll was up by 14,126 to 1.89 million.

The United States had the most cases at 21.86 million, up 260,973, and the most deaths at 369,990, up 4,100.

 

 

Bangkok Post