The number of Covid-19 patients in Thailand rose to 2,931, with nine new cases confirmed over a 24-hour period and one new death, Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin, spokesman of the government’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said today (April 27).

He said today is the first day the number of new cases has dropped below 10 – the lowest since its peak of 188 on March 22.

With one new death, the number of fatalities is now 52, while 2,609 patients have recovered and returned home. The other 270 are undergoing treatment in hospital.

No new case was reported in Bangkok in the past 24 hours. The two new patients in Bangkok state quarantine were from out of the capital.The cases can be divided into three groups:

One group of three had come into close contact with previous patients.

The other group comprised four people, who were discovered during an investigation operation in Yala.

The last group consisted of two who returned from the United States and were under state quarantine.

A 65-year-old woman who had anaemia died of acute kidney and respiratory failure on April 26. She had been in close contact with her family of five, all of whom were infected. She experienced breathing problems on April 2 and was confirmed on April 8 to have contracted Covid-19.

Meanwhile, 15 people have fully recovered and returned home.

Of the 9 new cases, five were in Yala, two in Bangkok’s state quarantine, one each in Phuket and Suphan Buri

Today, a number of Thais will return from abroad – 35 from Japan, 25 from the Netherlands and 168 students from New Zealand. Tomorrow, 12 Thais from Spain and 200 from India will come back home.