NAKHON RATCHASIMA: At least 625 inmates at two prisons in the province were found to be infected with Covid-19, the province's communicable diseases committee said yesterday.
The infections were detected after public health officers and medical staff from the Golden Gate Hospital tested around 2,000 inmates and officers at Nakhon Ratchasima Central Prison with antigen test kits on Saturday, the committee said.
The results were sent to Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital to be confirmed with the RT-PCR method. In total, 416 inmates were found to be infected with Covid-19.
Separately, 209 inmates at Nakhon Ratchasima Women's Correctional Institution in tambon Khlong Phai, Si Khiu district, were also found to be infected, bringing the total number of infections in the province's prison system to 625.
No infections have been reported at four other prisons in the province.
Meanwhile, 97 new cases were found among the general population -- 93 people were infected locally, while four cases involved returnees from high-risk areas.
The Public Health Ministry said yesterday 7,960 new infections and 53 deaths were reported over the past 24 hours.
On Saturday, 6,950 Covid-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovering.
Nakhon Si Thammarat, Narathiwat, Pattani, Songkhla, Yala in the south accounted for 1,909 new cases, outnumbering the 1,226 detected in Greater Bangkok, according to Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) data compiled on Saturday and released yesterday afternoon.
Songkhla reported the most new cases in the south with 417 cases, most which were detected in Hat Yai, Muang and Na Thawi districts.
The CCSA said the southern region also registered 18 deaths including five in Nakhon Si Thammarat and three in Yala. Bangkok topped the fatality list with six deaths.