The country recorded 102 new Covid-19 infections and three deaths on Sunday, although the rate of infections in Bangkok may be on the decline, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).
The number of imported cases, meanwhile, was no more than 10 per day. Most of them were from people who had travelled from Europe, said CCSA spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin.
Three new Covid-19 deaths were reported on Sunday, bringing the death toll to 23, while the accumulated number of infections rose to 2,169, including the 674 people who have recovered, he said.
The first of the three deaths reported on Sunday was a 46-year-old Thai man who had returned from London on March 22, admitted to a hospital with Covid-19 symptoms on March 25 and died on Friday, Dr Taweesilp said.
The second death was an 82-year-old Swiss man with a history of heart disease and high blood pressure, who two weeks ago attended a party in Hua Hin district of Prachuap Khiri Khan and another party at a bar and restaurant on Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok on March 29, Dr Taweesilp said.
This patient was admitted to a private hospital in Prachuap Khiri Khan on March 31 with a high fever, high blood pressure, rapid heartbeat and fatigue, said Dr Taweesilp, adding doctors first thought he had pneumonia and acute heart failure.
The patient was later referred to another private hospital in neighbouring Phetchaburi on April 1, where he died the following day, Dr Taweesilp said.
The third death was a 30-year-old Thai construction worker with a drinking habit who had travelled from the southern province of Phatthalung to work in the northeastern province of Surin on March 20, Dr Taweesilp said.
On March 29, he fell ill with Covid-19 symptoms. He was then rushed to Prasat Hospital in Surin on April 2 and later died, Dr Taweesilp said.
The new 102 confirmed cases fall into three groups -- patients with close contact to the people with Covid-19 virus, patients who have recently returned from abroad and patients whose sources of infection are under investigation, of which there are 12, Dr Taweesilp said.
Of the new 102 infections, most of them were in Bangkok and Phuket, 34 and 24 respectively, he said. However, Dr Taweesin added infection trends in Bangkok are showing signs of declining, while those in the provinces are starting to level off.
To date, the average Covid-19 mortality rate in Thailand stood at 0.97%.
"From our experience in the past three to four months, just one or two infected people who had returned from overseas could spread the virus to a huge number of people," he said.
He said this has been known to happen to recent returnees who showed no fever and had medical certificates declaring them fit to fly.
"This is why the standard 14-day quarantine period is recommended," Dr Taweesilp said.
