Thailand logged 207 new Covid-19 fatalities and 21,038 new cases over the previous 24 hours, the Public Health Ministry reported on Wednesday morning.
The latest death toll was the third-highest to date, after the 235 that occurred on Monday (and were reported on Tuesday) and the 212 on Aug 7.
The new caseload was also the third-highest ever recorded, after the 21,838 on Aug 7 and the 21,379 on Aug 6, the day before.
There were 20,865 cases in the general population and 173 among prison inmates.
On Tuesday, 22,012 recovered Covid patients were discharged from hospitals -- slightly more than those newly confirmed to have the virus.
Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said in the afternoon briefing that the 21,038 new cases included 20,846 local infections and 19 imported cases.
Of the local transmissions, 16,464 were confirmed at hospitals and 4,382 via mass testing.
Bangkok logged 4,525 new cases, followed by 1,683 in Samut Sakhon, 1,388 in Samut Prakan, 1,368 in Chon Buri, 691 in Nonthaburi, 580 in Ayutthaya, 512 in Pathum Thani, 467 in Chachoengsao, 420 in Ubon Ratchathani and 399 in Ratchaburi.
New factory clusters
Ratchaburi found a new cluster of 32 cases at an instant food factory in Muang district.
Prachin Buri located a new cluster of 26 cases at a beverage company in Ban Sang district.
Samut Sakhon had a new cluster of 19 cases at a petroleum company in Muang district.
New clusters are generally being found mostly at factories, Dr Taweesilp said.
The 19 imported cases were from Dubai (1), Israel (1), Malaysia (1) and Myanmar (16 crewmembers on a cargo ship).
On Tuesday, 210,042 people received treatment for Covid-19 at hospitals, including 5,407 suffering from lung inflammation and 1,094 dependent on ventilators.
Since April 1, around when the third wave of Covid-19 began, Thailand has recorded 788,126 Covid-19 patients, with 572,726 already recovered.
Since the pandemic started early last year, there have been 816,989 Covid-19 cases, 600,152 of whom have so far recovered.
Deaths again top 200
The spokesman said the 207 new fatalities ranged from 21-93 years old, with 57% at least 60 years old and 28% suffering from chronic diseases.
Thai nationals accounted for 199 of the new fatalities. Five were from Myanmar, while the other three held Indian, Cambodian and Pakistani citizenship.
Of the new deaths, 75 either lived in or visited outbreak areas, 52 contracted the virus from family members and 47 got it from acquaintances.
Two died at home -- in Bangkok and Nakhon Si Thammarat -- while two others were pregnant women in Bangkok and Ang Thong.
Bangkok recorded 60 new deaths with another 64 in its adjacent provinces of Samut Prakan (17), Samut Sakhon (15), Nakhon Pathom (14), Pathum Thani (9) and Nonthaburi (9).
The South had 16 new fatalities – in Narathiwat (6), Yala (3), Pattani (1), Songkhla (1), Phatthalung (2), Ranong (1), Trang (1) and Nakhon Si Thammarat (1).
The Northeast saw 17 new fatalities – in Roi Et (5), Maha Sarakham (3), Sakon Nakhon (2), Chaiyaphum (2), Kalasin (1), Khon Kaen (1), Nakhon Phanom (1), Si Sa Ket (1) and Ubon Ratchathani (1).
The North reported 24 new deaths – in Tak (10), Nakhon Sawan (6), Phetchabun (2), Kamphaeng Phet (1), Chai Nat (1), Phayao (1), Phitsanulok (1), Lamphun (1) and Uthai Thani (1).
Central plains provinces recorded 26 new fatalities – in Ratchaburi (7), Ayutthaya (5), Chachoengsao (5), Nakhon Nayok (2), Prachin Buri (2), Kanchanaburi (1), Chon Buri (1), Trat (1), Saraburi (1) and Ang Thong (1).
The death toll was at 6,701 in the third wave and 6,795 from the beginning of the pandemic early last year.
Global Covid-19 cases rose by 609,402 in 24 hours to 204.78 million. The worldwide death toll went up by 10,092 to 4.33 million.
The United States had the most cases at 36.89 million, up 101,254, and the most deaths at 634,662, up 657. Thailand ranked 35th globally by its 816,989 accumulated cases.