A total of 292 Covid-19 fatalities and 17,984 cases were reported on Saturday, with Bangkok seeing record single-day deaths and new cases.
Of the new cases, 17,660 cases were among the general population and 324 in prisons, according to the Public Health Ministry.
However, recoveries from Covid continue to outpace new infections. Over the past 24 hours, 20,535 people were discharged from hospitals.
As well, vaccinations on Friday set a record, with 915,738 people nationwide receiving a first or second dose. A total of 30.42 million doses have now been given, with 10.8% of the population fully vaccinated and 34% having received at least one shot.
Since April 1, when the third wave began, 1,128,692 people have contracted Covid-19 and 936,893 have recovered. Since the pandemic started early last year, there have been 1,157,555 Covid-19 cases, 964,538 of whom recovered.
The death toll is 10,785 from the third wave and 10,879 since the beginning of the pandemic.
The highest number of cases in a single day was reported on Aug 13, at 23,418, while the record death toll was seen on Aug 18, at 312.
The people reported to have died on Saturday were aged 24-100, or 70 on average, and 157 were men, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration.
Elderly people aged 60 or more made up 71% of the latest fatalities.
By nationality, 287 were Thais, two each were from Myanmar and Cambodia, and one from China.
Bangkok saw its highest single-day death toll, at 119, or 41% of the national total, while five of the six provinces surrounding it reported a combined 58 — 18 in Samut Prakan, 16 in Pathum Thani, 14 in Samut Sakhon and 10 in Nakhon Pathom.
The South logged 17 deaths – Pattani (5), Narathiwat (2), Phatthalung (2), Yala (1), Phuket (1), Trang (1), Phangnga (1), Rayong (1) and Chumphon (1).
The Northeast recorded 23 fatalities, led by Nakhon Ratchasima (6), Ubon Ratchathani (3), Yasothon (3), Maha Sarakham (2), Surin (2), Nakhon Phanom (1), Si Sa Ket (1), Nong Bua Lam Phu (1), Bung Kan (1), Roi Et (1), Khon Kaen (1) and Loei (1).
The North reported 14 deaths, led by Tak (5), Nakhon Sawan (3), Uthai Thani (2), Kam Phaeng Phet (2), Phichit (1) and Uttaradit (1).
Fourteen other provinces reported 61 fatalities. They were Saraburi (1), Lop Buri (1), Ratchaburi (8), Ayutthaya (5), Chachoengsao (3), Chon Buri (3), Rayong (2), Chanthaburi (2), Sing Buri (2), Prachin Buri (1), Trat (1) and Sa Kaeo (1).
Bangkok, which saw a record single-day increase, reported 4,141 new infections, or 23% of the national total, followed by 1,432 in Samut Prakan, 972 in Chon Buri, 910 in Samut Sakhon, 566 in Nakhon Ratchasima, 469 in Ratchaburi, 449 in Rayong, 447 in Nonthaburi, 428 in Saraburi and 413 in Pathum Thani.
There were seven imported cases: from Israel (1), Cambodia (1) and Myanmar (5). All were asymptomatic. They were a Dutch man, two Thais, and four Myanmar men. Of them, the four Myanmar nationals and one Thai returnee had entered the country illegally via natural border crossings.
As of Friday, 182,357 patients were in hospitals, with 5,109 seriously ill and 1,069 dependent on ventilators.
Global Covid-19 cases rose by 711,310 in 24 hours to 216.21 million. The worldwide death toll went up by 9,900 to 4.49 million. The United States had the most cases at 39.54 million, up by 190,370. Thailand rose one rank to 30th globally, with 1,157,555 accumulated cases.
