The government on Thursday reported eight new cases of coronavirus disease among quarantined returnees, as global daily infections hit a new high.

Panprapa Yongtrakul, of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said the four new cases had  arrived earlier from Egypt. Two were men aged 21 who were quarantined in Chon Buri province.

Their infection was confirmed by their second test, 11 days after their arrival, but they showed no symptoms. Fifteen others on the same flight earlier tested positive for Covid-19.

Two other cases were male students aged 20 and 24. They arrived last Friday and were quarantined in Chon Buri. They were positive for Covid-19 in their first test on Tuesday, five days after arrival, while being asymptomatic. Four other people on their flight had previously been confirmed infected, Dr Panprapa said. 

Two other cases arrived from Sudan - male and female students aged 20. They arrived on July 10 with some symptoms, but their first test at Suvarnabhumi airport showed negative results.

Their third tests proved positive, 12 days after arrival. Fifteen other people on the same flight have been confirmed with the disease.

Two other cases are workers who returned from the United States last Saturday. They were quarantined in Bangkok and their infection was confirmed by their first test on Tuesday, four days after arrival.

The total number of cases is now 3,269, of whom 3,105 have recovered and been discharged. Meanwhile, 106 patients remained at hospitals, and all of them were quarantined returnees. The death toll was still at 58, Dr Panprapa said.

She said that 151 Thai soldiers returned from a military exercise in Hawaii on Wednesday evening, of whom 140 were not ill and were taken to quarantine in Chon Buri. Ten others had fevers. They were tested and were waiting for the results.

The other soldier had a chronic disease unrelated to Covid-19.