The government on Friday reported 50 new local cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), raising the total to 2,473 over 68 provinces, and one new death, a woman with lupus, increasing the toll to 33.
The largest group of new infections, 19, were in Bangkok. Phangna reported its first case. Nine provinces remained free of Covid-19 -- Ang Thong, Bung Kan, Chai Nat, Kamphaeng Phet, Nan, Phichit, Ranong, Sing Buri and Trat.
Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said the dead woman was a vendor who suffered from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
She was taken to a hospital in Chachoengsao province on Monday with a fever of 38.5°C, diarrhea, vomiting, panting and exhaustion. Her blood pressures dropped to 85/64 and she needed a ventilator.
She was also found to have severe pneumonia. She died on Tuesday and her Covid-19 test result was known on Thursday. It was positive, Dr Taweesilp said.
"The woman was already in shock on her arrival at the hospital... The case was not old, but her immune system was weak. So when she was infected, her symptoms were severe. Relatives must take good care of people with weak immunity," he said.
The spokesman said people aged 20-29 remained the biggest group of local Covid-19 cases because they worked and commuted and were at high risk of catching the disease and transmitting it to family members.
The 50 new cases included 27 people in close contact with previous patients. Most of them, 11, were in Bangkok, followed by seven in Yala province.
Others were five people working in crowded places or close to foreigners, four medical personnel, three returnees and three visitors to crowded places. Eight others were under investigation.
The biggest group of the new cases, 19, were in Bangkok, followed by seven in Yala, five in Phuket, four each in Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan, two in Nakhon Sawan and Prachin Buri, and one each in Chachoengsao, Chumphon, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Narathiwat, Phangnga, Phayao and Surat Thani. Phangna has its first case.
Of 2,473 local cases, the most were reported in Bangkok, with 1,262, followed by 166 in Phuket, 148 in Nonthaburi, 108 in Samut Prakan, 77 in Yala, 73 in Chon Buri, 66 in Pattani, 47 in Songkhla, 40 in Chiang Mai and 30 in Pathum Thani.
