Health personnel recorded 252 more Covid-19 fatalities and found 14,802 new cases on Tuesday -- the sixteenth consecutive day of significant caseload declines -- the Public Health Ministry reported on Wednesday morning.
There were 14,585 cases in the general population and 217 among prison inmates.
Over the previous 24 hours, 18,996 Covid-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovering from the coronavirus -- over 4,000 more than the number of new infections.
80% of deaths over 50
Apisamai Srirangson, assistant spokeswoman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said in the afternoon briefing that the 252 new fatalities were 21-99 years old and included six Myanmar and one Chinese, one Cambodian and one Indian nationals.
Ninety percent of the new deaths were elderly people and those with chronic diseases. One of the new fatalities was a pregnant woman in Maha Sarakham.
“Elderly cases alone formed 66% of the new deaths. If the new fatalities that were 50 years and over were included, the new deaths among people aged at least 50 would form as high as 80% of the new fatalities. So, the Public Health Ministry plans to speed up vaccinations for people aged 50 and more,” Dr Apisamai said.
Bangkok continued to log the most new deaths -- 80 -- while a further 61 were reported in the adjacent provinces of Pathum Thani (21), Samut Sakhon (16), Samut Prakan (9), Nakhon Pathom (13), and Nonthaburi (2).
Other central plain provinces further from the capital recorded 54 more deaths – in Saraburi (14), Chachoengsao (9), Suphan Buri (7), Chon Buri (6), Kanchanaburi (6), Trat (3), Prachin Buri (2), Ayutthaya (2), Chanthaburi (1), Nakhon Nayok (1), Prachuap Khiri Khan (1), Samut Songkhram (1), and Lop Buri (1).
The Northeast had 24 new deaths – in Udon Thani (5), Roi Et (5), Buri Ram (3), Kalasin (2), Si Sa Ket (2), Yasothon (2), Nakhon Ratchasima (1), Maha Sarakham (1), Ubon Ratchathani (1), Mukdahan (1), and Chaiyaphum (1).
The South reported 20 new deaths – in Pattani (6), Songkhla (4), Narathiwat (3), Ranong (3), Phatthalung (2), and Nakhon Si Thammarat (2).
The North saw 13 new fatalities – in Phetchaburi (3), Kamphaeng Phet (2), Chiang Mai (1), Phitsanulok (1), Chai Nat (1), Tak (1), Nakhon Sawan (1), Nan (1), Sukhothai (1), and Uthai Thani (1).
The 14,802 new cases included 14,580 local infections and five imported cases.
Of the local infections, 12,892 were confirmed at hospitals and 1,688 via mass testing. Dr Apisamai said that 33 provinces logged more than 100 new Covid-19 cases each.
Bangkok had 3,732 new cases, followed by 1,284 in Samut Prakan, 879 in Chon Buri, 864 in Samut Sakhon, 547 in Rayong, 492 in Ayutthaya, 417 in Ratchaburi, 333 in Nakhon Ratchasima, 331 in Chachoengsao, and 313 in Narathiwat.
Greater Bangkok reported 6,513 new cases and 141 new deaths. Four southern border provinces had 988 new cases and 13 new fatalities and 67 other provinces recorded 7,079 new cases and 98 new deaths.
The five imported cases were from France (1), the United States (1 visitor to Phuket), Cambodia (2 illegal returnees), and Malaysia (1 illegal returnee).
Almost 12,000 dead
On Tuesday 166,922 people received Covid-19 treatment at hospitals. Of them, 4,917 people were seriously ill and 1,040 were dependent on ventilators.
Since April 1, around when the third wave of Covid-19 began, there have been 1,190,668 Covid-19 patients, 1,013,342 of whom have recovered to date.
Since the pandemic started early last year, there have been 1,219,531 Covid-19 cases, with 1,040,768 full recoveries so far.
The death toll stood at 11,747 during the third wave and 11,841 since the beginning of the pandemic early last year.
Global Covid-19 cases rose by 607,415 cases in 24 hours to 218.54 million. The worldwide death toll went up by 8,938 to 4.53 million. The US had the most cases at 40.11 million, up 156,002, and the most deaths at 657,910, up 1,232.
