Health authorities on Tuesday warned the Delta strain of the novel coronavirus was rapidly spreading throughout the country after 57 more Covid-19 fatalities and 5,420 new transmissions were found on Monday, bringing the accumulated toll to 2,333 deaths and the number of cases since the start of the pandemic to 294,653.
Of the new infections, 5,383 were in the general population and 37 in prisons.
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) said Bangkok again logged the most deaths and new transmissions, with 33 fatalities and 1,492 new cases.
The virus was also detected in eight Thais returning from other countries -- three each from Malaysia and Myanmar, and one each from Cambodia and Ethiopia, according to the CCSA.
Thailand has registered more than 5,000 new transmissions every day since the beginning of July, with the daily death toll hovering around 50. The most deaths during a single day were the 61 reported on Friday.
CCSA spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin confirmed the Public Health Ministry's warning about the danger of Delta, with the variant on course to overshadow other strains throughout the country after dominating Bangkok.
The Delta variant, first found in India, is more infectious than other types of the coronavirus.
Between June 28 and July 2, the strain accounted for 52% of new infections in Bangkok, ministry data showed. While responsible for only 18% in other provinces during that period, the proportion was more than double the 7% recorded June 21-27.
"Other regions are following the same pattern as Bangkok," Dr Taweesilp said.
The spokesman advised people to wear two masks to help stave off the Delta variant – even if they had already received two shots of vaccine.
"We have to adjust our lives to cope with it," he said.
