SAMUT SAKHON: Another 814 coronavirus infections were reported in Samut Sakhon yesterday as the Covid-19 outbreak continued unabated.
With Samut Sakhon being one of the 13 provinces declared as dark-red zones under maximum and strict Covid-19 control, 27 kinds of at-risk businesses have now been ordered to shut their doors and restrictions placed on other commercial outlets.
Of the 814 new infections, 135 were detected via mass testing, 16 found at bubbled and sealed factories and a prison, and 663 were confirmed at hospitals, the Samut Sakhon public relations office said on its Facebook page yesterday.
The new cases brought the provincial total to 36,392, of which 26,459 had recovered, with 322 discharged in the last 24 hours. A total of 9,851 people were still being treated at hospitals. The accumulated fatality figure stood at 82.
The province's seven field hospitals still had 65 beds available.
Samut Sakhon governor, Veerasak Vichitsangsri, chairman of the provincial communicable disease control panel, signed an order on Monday temporarily closing 27 types of at-risk businesses -- entertainment venues such as pubs, bars and similar places, and cockfighting rings, nurseries, amulet markets, games shops and internet shops, golf courses, and other places where people gather. Large hardware stores, similar to shopping malls, were also included.
Convenience stores must close from 8pm-4am. Wet markets, flea markets, floating markets, walking streets and similar places are allowed to open six hours a day but operators must get permission from their local administrative organisation, which will also set the hours.
Construction work and the movements of workers were also prohibited under the order.
The governor also signed an order setting up two more field hospitals, in Muang and Krathum Baen districts.
Meanwhile, in Chon Buri, one more Covid-19 death and 537 new infections were reported in this eastern province, which is now designated a dark-red zone for maximum and strict disease control.
The new infections brought the province's total to 16,527 cases, of whom 9,393 had recovered and 254 with discharged on Monday. The latest death brought the total number of fatalities to 82.
The provincial public health office posted the latest details on its Facebook page yesterday.