Thailand logged a record 15,376 new Covid-19 cases and 87 new fatalities over the previous 24 hours, the Public Health Ministry announced on Monday morning, taking the country’s accumulated caseload past half a million.
The new caseload was marginally more than the 15,335 announced on Sunday, although the number of reported fatalities was significantly lower than Sunday’s 129.
Of the 15,376 new cases, 14,335 were in the general population and 1,041 among prison inmates.
On Sunday, 6,782 Covid-19 patients recovered and were discharged from hospitals, leaving 167,057 in-patients receiving treatment for Covid-19 — including 4,289 critically ill and 967 dependent on ventilators.
“The number of patients was quite high compared with the number of those discharged from hospitals,” said Dr Apisamai Srirangson, assistant spokeswoman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) said in the afternoon briefing.
Upcountry deaths accelerate
During the afternoon briefing, Dr Apisamai said the 87 new fatalities were 28-96 years old — 83 Thais and four Myanmar nationals. Thirty-eight either lived in or visited outbreak areas and 17 contracted the virus from family members.
Bangkok logged 40 new deaths, while there were six each in Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom and Pattani; two each in Samut Sakhon, Krabi, Nakhnon Ratchasima, Ubon Ratchathani, Chachoengsao, Trat, Tak and Suphan Buri; and one each in Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, Songkhla, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Kalasin, Udon Thani, Chon Buri, Rayong, Sa Kaeo, Kamphang Phet, Sukhothai, Phetchaburi and Ayutthaya.
“New fatalities were reported nationwide, not centred in Greater Bangkok or dark-red zones anymore. Importantly, most of them were elderly people and those with chronic diseases… Five people died at home,” Dr Apisamai said.
Most new cases outside capital region
The 15,376 new cases over the past 24 hours included 14,321 local infections and 14 imported cases.
“The new cases have not included results from antigen tests yet. Those results will be reported this week,” Dr Apisamai said.
Of the local infections, 11,064 were confirmed at hospitals and 3,257 via mass testing.
Bangkok logged 2,573 new cases, followed by 1,074 in Samut Sakhon, 970 in Samut Prakan, 867 in Chon Buri, 719 in Nonthaburi, 411 in Rayong, 320 in Chachoengsao, 311 in Nakhon Pathom, 301 in Pathum Thani and 290 in Ayutthaya.
“Bangkok also recorded slightly over 1,000 new cases with antigen test kits,” Dr Apisamai said. “However, about 80% of them were green-coded, meaning the patients were asymptomatic or had only mild symptoms that were not respiratory. The green-coded cases must stay at home and contact concerned officials for home isolation services.”
Greater Bangkok had 5,948 new cases (41% of new daily cases nationwide) and 56 new fatalities while four southern border provinces had 652 new cases and seven new deaths.
Nakhon Si Thammarat had a new cluster of 91 cases at a factory of natural rubber wood in Bang Khan district. Suphan Buri had a new cluster of 27 cases at a satellite dish factory in Song Phi Nong district and Rayong had a new cluster of 11 cases at a wheel plant in Pluak Daeng district.
The 14 imported cases were from Malaysia (10 illegal returnees), Cambodia (2 illegal returnees), Russia (1) and Switzerland (1)
Global Covid-19 cases rose by 427,082 to 194.82 million. The worldwide death toll went up by 6,859 to 4.17 million.
The United States had the most cases at 35.20 million, up 13,818, and the most deaths at 626,762, up 49. Thailand ranked 47th globally for its 512,678 accumulated cases.
Since April 1, around when the third wave of Covid-19 began, there have been 483,815 Covid-19 patients, 314,049 of whom have recovered.
Of the 512,678 Covid-19 cases since the pandemic started early last year, 341,475 have recovered.
The death toll was at 4,052 in the third wave and 4,146 from the beginning of the pandemic early last year.
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