Another 836 cases of coronavirus infection were reported on Tuesday, bringing the confirmed caseload since the start of the pandemic a year ago to 20,618.

Two more deaths were also reported, both elderly people, raising the toll to 79.

The 836 new cases included 819 domestic transmissions, with 710 of those found through active testing. There were 17 imported cases.

Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said the first new death was a 75-year-old Thai woman in Samut Sakhon province. She had also suffered from hypertension and high cholesterol.

On Jan 25 she sought a Covid-19 test because her husband was confirmed with the disease. She was asymptomatic and waited for her test result at home.

The test result was returned positive last Thursday, when she also suffered from exhaustion and shortage of breath, Dr Taweesilp said.

She was admitted to Samut Sakhon Hospital. Her condition deteriorated and she died on Saturday.

“This case was an elderly person. Her condition worsened quickly and she died in a few days. This case must be seen as a lesson,” the spokesman said.

The other death was a Thai male vendor, 68, who also had suffered from diabetes and terminal renal failure, and previously had a kidney transplant.

The man had visited Samut Sakhon and gone to a karaoke shop in Pinklao area of Bangkok.

On Dec 30 he had a cough, a runny nose and muscle pain. He tested positive for Covid-19 on Jan 7. He had been treated in hospital for about a month and died early Monday morning, Dr Taweesilp said.

Of the 836 new cases, 710 were confirmed through active case finding in communities and 109 others at hospitals.

Of the 710 cases found with active testing, 688 were in Samut Sakhon - 629 Myanmar migrants and 59 Thais. That was the reason why Samut Sakhon remained as a maximum and strict Covid-19 control zone, Dr Taweesilp said.

Meanwhile, 22 were confirmed in Bangkok - 19 Myanmar and three Thais - detected after tests at factories in Phasi Charoen district.

Of the 109 cases confirmed at hospitals, 99 were in Samut Sakhon -  76 Myanmar people, 22 Thais and one Cambodian. A 26-day baby girl was among them.

Seven others were confirmed in Bangkok. The only other new Covid-19 cases were one in Nonthaburi and two in Samut Songkhram, Dr Taweesilp said.

The 17 imported cases were quarantined arrivals from Switzerland (3), India (1), Nigeria (1), the United States (2), France (1), the United Kingdom (3), Denmark (1), Canada (2) and Malaysia (3).

Of the 20,454 total cases, 13,217 (64.6%) had recovered, including 703 discharged over the past 24 hours, and 7,158 were receiving treatment.

Global Covid-19 cases rose by 392,565 in 24 hours to 103.92 million. The worldwide death toll went up by 9,210 to 2.25 million. The US had the most cases at 26.91 million, up 125,454, and the most deaths at 454,213, up 1,904.

 

 

Bangkok Post