7,982 new Covid cases, 68 more deaths

7,982 new Covid cases, 68 more deaths

Only half the tables were occupied at these restaurants on Khao San Road, a favourite spot for tourists, on Wednesday. Random checks by police found no restaurants in Bangkok stayed open or served alcohol beyond the 9pm closing time. (Photo: Pornprom Satrabhaya)
Only half the tables were occupied at these restaurants on Khao San Road, a favourite spot for tourists, on Wednesday. Random checks by police found no restaurants in Bangkok stayed open or served alcohol beyond the 9pm closing time. (Photo: Pornprom Satrabhaya)

There were 7,982 new Covid-19 cases and 68 more fatalities recorded during the previous 24 hours, the Public Health Ministry reported on Thursday morning.

There were 7,838 cases in the general population and 144 among prison inmates.

The number of new cases rose from 7,679 announced on Wednesday, when the country recorded 56 more deaths.

On Wednesday, 8,029 Covid-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovering from the coronavirus.

Since April 1, when the third wave of Covid-19 began, Thailand has treated 1,914,561 Covid-19 patients, 1,799,066 of whom have recovered to date.

Since the pandemic started early last year, there have been 1,943,424 Covid-19 cases, with 1,826,492 complete recoveries so far.

The death toll stood at 19,368 during the third wave and 19,462 since the beginning of the pandemic.

Chawetsan Namwat, director for the control of emergency health hazards and diseases at the Department of Disease Control, said in the afternoon briefing that the 68 latest fatalities were aged 32 to 93 years and included one Myanmar national.

Bangkok recorded 10 more coronavirus-related deaths while a further six were reported in the adjacent provinces of Samut Prakan (2), Pathum Thani (2), Nakhon Pathom (1) and Samut Sakhon (1).

Other central plain provinces further from the capital recorded 25 more deaths - in Ratchaburi (8), Kanchanaburi (4), Sa Kaeo (3), Rayong (2), Lop Buri (2), Chon Buri (2), Saraburi (2), Prachuap Khiri Khan (1) and Ayutthaya (1).

The Northeast had eight new fatalities - in Nakhon Ratchasima (3), Udon Thani (2), Ubon Ratchathani (1), Bung Kan (1) and Yasothon (1). 

The South reported 15 more deaths – in Nakhon Si Thammarat (7), Yala (2), Pattani (2), Surat Thani (2), Satun (1) and Narathiwat (1).

The North saw four more fatalities – in Phetchabun (1), Kamphaeng Phet (1), Tak (1) and Phitsanulok (1).

The 7,982 new cases included 7,828 local infections and 10 imported cases. Of the local infections, 7,762 were confirmed at hospitals and 66 via mass testing.

Bangkok had 827 new cases, followed by 497 in Songkhla, 492 in Chiang Mai, 455 in Nakhon Si Thammarat, 451 in Pattani, 336 in Yala, 280 in Chon Buri, 248 in Khon Kaen, 248 in Rayong and 215 in Samut Prakan.

"New cases in Greater Bangkok are steadily falling while the numbers in southern border provinces are declining slowly... Meanwhile, caseloads in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Chiang Mai, Tak, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Khon Kaen are being monitored closely because they comprise as much as one-fifth of the total," Dr Chawetsan said.

Over the past 24 hours, 3,001 people had antigen tests which returned positive, he said.

The 10 imported cases were from Russia (3) and Cambodia (7 illegal returnees).

On Wednesday 97,470 people received Covid-19 treatment at hospitals (down from 97,585), including 2,181 seriously ill patients (down from 2,205) and 466 dependent on ventilators (down from 483).

Global Covid-19 cases rose by 482,844 in 24 hours to 248.79 million. The worldwide death toll went up by 7,787 to 5.04 million.

The United States had the most cases at 47.10 million, up 75,639, and the most deaths at 770,854, up 1,436.


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