187 new Covid-19 cases and two deaths reported
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Monday reported two deaths and 187 new cases, including 10 people who had travelled from abroad, in the past 24 hours,
Of the new cases, 61 were exposed to the virus while visiting high-risk areas. The province with the highest number of infections was Samut Sakhon (35), followed by Bangkok (20) and Rayong (5).
Proactive testing led to the discovery of 116 cases -- 104 foreigners and 9 Thais in Samut Sakhon, two Myanmar nationals in Bangkok and a Thai in Rayong.
Of the overseas travellers who tested positive in quarantine, seven are Thai nationals returning from the United Kingdom (5), and one each from Malaysia and Bahrain. Also testing positive were a British man, a Russian woman and a German man who flew in from their respective nations.
A female bedridden patient, 56, succumbed to the virus on January 21 after a cardiac arrest. She was the first death in Samut Songkhram province linked to Covid-19. The patient had epilepsy and stroke. On January 21, she felt suffocation and was taken to Somdet Phra Phutthaloetla Hospital. She was put on a ventilator but succumbed. Two high-risk close contacts who lived in the same house have tested positive. One of the two is her husband who had once travelled to Samut Sakhon.
A British man, 61, passed away on January 24. He arrived on December 25, developed symptoms on December 28 and the positive result was confirmed on December 29. He reportedly avoided a ventilator until it became difficult for him to breathe on January 9.
Meanwhile, 95 patients have recovered and been discharged.
As of Monday, the number of confirmed cases in Thailand had risen to 13,687. Of these, 11,313 contracted the virus domestically, including 4,684 who were found via proactive testing, and 2,374 are returnees. So far, 10,662 have recovered and been discharged, 2,950 patients are still in hospital and the death toll has risen to 75.
According to Worldometer, as of 10am on Monday, the number of confirmed cases globally had risen to 99.77 million (increasing by 455,867), 73.9 million have recovered, 25.88 million are active cases (110,510 in severe condition) and 2.14 million have died (up by 9,511).
Thailand ranks 125th on the global list of most cases. The US tops the list with 25.7 million, followed by India 10.67 million, Brazil 8.84 million, Russia 3.71 million and the United Kingdom 3.64 million.
Apisamai Srirangsan, CCSA, assistant spokeswoman, said the number of cases in Bangkok had increased to 700 since December 15. She said a new cluster had been found from the cases of a superspreader who joined DJ Matoom’s birthday party.
Total cases in Samut Sakhon had risen to 5,480 cases.
Medical teams from other provinces, including from the military, will join active case-finding operation. She hinted at some 800 new cases being reported on Monday afternoon.
