A total of 261 Covid-19 fatalities and 20,571 cases were reported over the past 24 hours, the Public Health Ministry reported on Saturday morning.
Of the new cases, 20,336 were among the general population and 235 were inmates. But recoveries in recent days have begun to outpace new infections, with 23,159 patients discharged from hospitals in the past 24 hours.
Since April 1, around when the third wave of Covid-19 began, there have been 1,001,418 Covid-19 patients, 791,538 of whom have recovered.
Since the pandemic started early last year, there have been 1,030,281 Covid-19 cases, 819,183 of whom recovered.
The death toll was at 8,993 in the third wave and 9,087 from the beginning of the pandemic early last year.
Record numbers of Covid-19 deaths and new cases were 312 on Wednesday and 23,418 on Aug 13, respectively.
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration said the 261 fatalities, 139 of whom were men, were 15 to 109 years old.
By nationality, 250 were Thais, six were Myanmar nationals, two were Cambodians and one each was from Laos, China and Belgium.
Elderly people made up 67%, or 175, of the latest fatalities. Those with underlying conditions accounted for 21%, with 55 deaths. Thirty, or 12%, had no existing health conditions.
The underlying conditions or risk factors among them were hypertension (148) and diabetes (101).
A total of 110 of those who died had either lived in or visited outbreak areas and 97 caught the disease from acquaintances and 26 from family members.
Bangkok logged 88 deaths and its adjacent provinces 53 — Samut Sakhon (21), Samut Prakan (14) Pathum Thani (14), Nakhon Pathom (2) and Nonthaburi (2).
The South reported 24 deaths — Narathiwat (8), Songkhla (4), Yala (4), Chumphon (3), Pattani (2), Phatthalung (1), Ranong (1) and Satun (1).
The Northeast reported 33 fatalities — Nakhon Ratchasima (5), Roi Et (4), Chaiyaphum (4), Ubon Ratchathani (4), Buri Ram (3), Kalasin (3), Udon Thani (3), Sakon Nakhon (2), Yasothon (2), Khon Kaen (1), Si Sa Ket (1) and Surin (1).
The North recorded 16 more deaths — Tak (7), Phichit (3), Loei (2), Sukhothai (2) and Nakhon Sawan (2).
Twelve other provinces saw 47 deaths — Ayutthaya (15), Saraburi (10), Chon Buri (6), Nakhon Nayok (4), Prachuap Khiri Khan (2), Chachoengsao (2), Sa Kaeo (2), Kanchanaburi (2), Trat (1), Chanthaburi (1), Rayong (1) and Ang Thong (1).
The CCSA said the 20,571 new cases over the past 24 hours included 20,322 local infections, 10 imported cases and 235 in prisons.
Of the local infections, 17,574 were confirmed at hospitals and 2,748 during mass testing.
Bangkok had 4,342 new cases in 24 hours, followed by Samut Prakan (1,584), Samut Sakhon (1,449), Chon Buri (1,235), Nakhon Ratchasima (613), Nakon Pathom (589), Chachoengsao (587), Ratchaburi (541), Buri Ram (450) and Kanchanaburi (436).
The 14 imported cases were one each from South Korea, India, the United States and France, four from Myanmar and six from Malaysia. By nationality, they were an American, an Indian, a Frenchman, four Myanmar nationals and seven Thai returnees.
On Friday, 202,230 patients were in hospital. Of the total, 5,171 were seriously ill, with 1,123 dependent on ventilators.
Global Covid-19 cases increased by 682,202 in 24 hours to 221.55 million. The death toll rose by 10,205 to 4.42 million. The United States had the most cases at 38.39 million, up 151,108. Thailand ranked 33rd.
