One patient succumbs to Covid-19 while 216 new cases found
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) announced 216 confirmed cases and one death on Saturday.
Of the 214 domestic cases, 182 were Thai nationals and 32 were migrant workers. There were only two cases in quarantine facilities.
Of the Thai patients, 37 were in Samut Sakhon, 32 in Chonburi, 27 in Rayong, 25 in Nonthaburi, 23 in Samut Prakarn, 18 in Bangkok, 10 in Chanthaburi, two each in Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom and Ang Thong, and one each in Chainat, Ratchaburi, Ayutthaya and Suphanburi.
Of the 32 infected migrant workers, 30 were in Samut Sakhon and one each in Tak and Pathum Thani.
As of Saturday, 53 provinces have reported cases in the latest outbreak.
The patients in quarantine facilities were an Indian flying in from India, and a Thai national arriving from the US.
CCSA spokesman Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin said that a female patient aged 47 had died on Friday in a local hotel serving as a hospital in Bang Lamung district of Chonburi province.
The spokesperson said that more serious measures would be implemented in the country to deal with the outbreak. The CCSA has updated its colour code map as follows:
Red provinces: Tak, Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Saraburi, Lopburi, Singburi, Ang Thong, Nakhon Nayok, Kanchanaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Ratchaburi, Suphanburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phetchaburi, Samut Songkhram, Samut Sakhon, Chachoengsao, Prachinburi, Sa Kaeo, Samut Prakarn, Chanthaburi, Chonburi, Trat, Rayong, Chumphon, Ranong and Bangkok.
Orange: Sukhothai, Kamphaeng Phet, Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, Chainat, Phetchabun, Chaiyaphum, Buriram, Nakhon Ratchasima, Surat Thani and Phang Nga. All other provinces have been classified as yellow, while green classification has been cancelled.
In red provinces, serious measures, sich as partial lockdown, will be implemented from January 4. Under the measures some places will be closed temporarily, while the opening hours of some venues will be limited.
People will be required not to travel between provinces and would be allowed to work from home, Taweesin said, adding that more serious measures – or the second phase – would be implemented in case the aforementioned measures are ineffective.
The total number of confirmed cases in Thailand has risen to 7,379 – 5,356 of which were contracted domestically, comprising 1,440 migrant workers and 2,023 returnees. So far, 4,299 have recovered and been discharged, while 64 people have died.
According to Worldometer, as of 10am on Saturday, the total number of confirmed cases globally had risen to 84.37 million (up by 561,913), 59.63 million have recovered, 24.74 million are active cases (106,561 in severe condition) and 1.83 million have died (up by 9,470).
Thailand ranks 136 in the global list of most cases, while the US tops the ranking with 20.61 million, followed by India 10.3 million, Brazil 7.7 million, Russia 3.18 million and France 2.63 million.
