The government reported 188 new Covid-19 cases on Friday, 154 local infections and 34 imported, raising the total to 11,450.

Taweesilp Visanuyothin of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said  81 cases were confirmed through the normal health system. They included 47 in Samut Sakhon province and 27 in Bangkok.

Active case finding had detected 73 infections, including 52 migrant workers in Samut Sakhon,

Among 34 imported cases were 21 quarantined arrivals.

Thirteen other cases were arrivals from Myanmar to Mae Sot district of Tak. The province now had 100 Covid-19 patients, 81 of them arrivals, Dr Taweesilp said.

Thai people who had illegally entered Myanmar to work now wanted to return to Tak, he said.

Officials were allowing them in, without taking legal action, and placing them in quarantine.

So far, 152 Thais had returned to Tak and were quarantined, and 65 of them had tested positive for Covid-19, he said.

Of the total 11,450 cases since the pandemic started early last year, 8,288 cases (72.3% had recovered, including 628 discharged over the past 24 hours, he said. The death toll was unchanged on Friday, at 69.

The number of provinces hit by the new Covid-19 wave remained at 60.