The government on Tuesday recorded 527 new cases of the novel coronavirus, all but six of them local transmissions, for a total of 8,966 since the start of the pandemic in January 2020.
No new deaths were reported, leaving the accumulated toll at 65.
Tuesday's additional caseload was smaller than the record 745 new cases recorded on Monday. That number was boosted by more than 500 cases in Samut Sakhon, the epicentre of the latest outbreak.
Centre for Covid Situation Analysis (CCSA) spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin said the new cases included 439 migrant workers diagnosed during an active testing campaign, along with 82 Thais.
He did not identify the migrant labourers’ locations, but they appeared to be in areas around the Central Shrimp Market in tambon Mahachai of Samut Sakhon's Muang district.
Samut Sakhon was the province with the highest number of local infections (31) followed by Nonthaburi (20) and Bangkok (15).
Two provinces recorded their first Covid-19 cases during the current outbreak; Sing Buri logged three cases, and Nan one. The outbreak has now spread to 55 of Thailand’s 77 provinces.
Dr Taweesilp said the CCSA had decided to extend the emergency decree to the end of next month after the current measure expires on Jan 15. The extension is subject to the Cabinet’s approval.
The spokesman added that Samut Sakhon, Rayong, Chon Buri, Chanthaburi and Trat are are under most stringent restrictions because they are among provinces hit hardest by the outbreak.
Screenshot from https://covid19.ddc.moph.go.th/en