Thailand on Sunday recorded 198 new coronavirus cases, 118 of them local transmissions, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 13,500. One new death was reported, raising the accumulated toll to 73.
Deputy Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) spokeswoman Apisamai Srisangson said the new fatality was a 73-year-old woman who had been in close contact with a Covid-19 patient in her family in Samut Sakhon.
She showed symptoms on Jan 4 and her test conducted at Samut Sakhon Hospital on Jan 9 was positive. She was later transferred to Taksin Hospital in Bangkok and pronounced dead on Saturday.
Of the 198 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday, 118 were local infections, 73 from active testing -- mostly in Samut Sakhon -- five arrivals from abroad through Suvarnabhumi Airport and two from Malaysia through the southern border.
The CCSA said Samut Sakhon topped new local infections at 76, followed by Bangkok (21) and Samut Prakan (12). Other new cases were found in Samut Songkhram (7) and one each in Nonthaburi and Ratchaburi.
"Intensive active testing will be carried out in Samut Sakhon next week to cover all areas in the province," she said.
On the southern front, one new patient was a Myanmar national who crossed into Narathiwat on Jan 11 and tested positive on Friday. He was admitted to Waeng Hospital in the southern province.
Another was a Thai woman who tested positive on Friday and was admitted to Betong Hospital in Yala. She entered Thailand from Malaysia on Jan 14, but the centre did not provide further details.
Infections were also found in five people who arrived from overseas through Bangkok’s main airport and were in state quarantine facilities — two from France and one each from Bahrain, Belgium and the United Arab Emirates.