Thailand logs 9 new Covid cases, 1 new death Monday

A volunteer disinfects hands of people lining up for food and cash donations from Red Path Party, a Thai political organisation, at a district in Bangkok on Saturday. (AFP photo)

The government on Monday reported nine new coronavirus cases and one additional death, bringing the total in Thailand to 2,931 infections and 52 deaths.

The number of new cases was lower than the 15 recorded on Sunday and the 53 on Saturday.

It was the first single-digit rise since March 14. Since testing has been limited, the actual number of infections may be much higher.

It is the first time since the outbreak started in January that there have been no new local transmissions reported in Bangkok, said Taweesilp Visanuyothin, a spokesman for the government's Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. There are currently two cases imported from the United States in the capital, he said.

Of the new cases, three were linked to previous cases, two are arrivals from overseas that have been under state quarantined, and four others were reported from the southern province of Yala, where the authorities are aggressively testing the population due to high infection rates.

The latest death was of a 64-year-old Thai woman, and Dr Taweesilp said the new fatality underlined that the crisis is not over. "The death case told us that the situation remains serious," he told the briefing.

Since the outbreak escalated in January 2,609 patients have recovered and gone home, but 270 remain hospitalised.

Screenshot from https://covid19.ddc.moph.go.th/en

Screenshot from https://covid19.ddc.moph.go.th/en

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