6,855 new Covid cases, 51 more deaths

6,855 new Covid cases, 51 more deaths

Travellers wearing protective gear for personal Covid-19 prevention check in for a flight at Suvarnabhumi airport on Monday. (Photo: Somchai Poomlard)
Travellers wearing protective gear for personal Covid-19 prevention check in for a flight at Suvarnabhumi airport on Monday. (Photo: Somchai Poomlard)

There were 6,855 new Covid-19 cases and 51 more fatalities recorded during the previous 24 hours, the Public Health Ministry announced on Friday morning.

There were 6,631 cases in the general population and 224 among prison inmates.

The number of new cases dropped from 6,901 announced on Thursday, when the country recorded 55 more deaths. 

On Thursday, 7,655 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 2,022,117 Covid-19 patients, 1,913,428 of whom have recovered to date.

Since the pandemic started early last year, there have been 2,050,980 Covid-19 cases, with 1,940,854 complete recoveries so far.

The death toll stood at 20,211 during the third wave and 20,305 since the beginning of the pandemic.

Apisamai Srirangson, a spokeswoman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said in the afternoon briefing that the latest 51 fatalities were aged 25 to 94 years and included one Myanmar national and one Norwegian.

Bangkok recorded six new deaths and a further two were reported in the adjacent provinces of Pathum Thani and Samut Prakan.

Other central plain provinces further from the capital recorded 10 more deaths - in Chon Buri (3), Kanchanaburi (1), Nakhon Nayok (1), Prachin Buri (1), Lop Buri (1), Sa Kaeo (1), Saraburi (1) and Ang Thong (1).

The Northeast had five fatalities - in Udon Thani (2), Nakhon Ratchasima (1), Surin (1) and Si Sa Ket (1).

The South reported 24 more deaths – in Nakhon Si Thammarat (9), Songkhla (5), Surat Thani (3), Krabi (2), Pattani (2), Phatthalung (1), Yala (1) and Satun (1).

The North saw four new fatalities – in Chiang Mai (3) and Phitsanulok (1).

The 6,855 new cases included 6,619 local infections and 12 imported cases. Of the local infections, 6,374 were confirmed at hospitals and 245 via mass testing.

Bangkok had 806 new cases, followed by 642 in Songkhla, 412 in Nakhon Si Thammarat, 276 in Chiang Mai, 233 in Surat Thani, 227 in Samut Prakan, 223 in Chon Buri, 222 in Pattani, 169 in Yala and 142 in Ratchaburi.

Dr Apisamai said there were clusters of new Covid-19 cases in prisons in Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Ratchaburi, Si Sa Ket, Songkhla, Kanchanaburi, Samut Prakan and Bangkok.

There were also new clusters among construction workers in Lampang, Chanthaburi and Bangkok.

Clusters in the Northeast were from funerals, Kathin robe-giving ceremonies and illegal gambling dens, she said.

The 12 imported cases were from the Georgia (1), the United Arab Emirates (3), France (1), the United States (1), the Philippines (1), the Netherlands (1), Myanmar (2) and Cambodia (2).

Since the country reopened to visitors on Nov 1, 68,852 people arrived by air and 89 of them (0.13%) were confirmed with Covid-19.

On Thursday 89,821 people received Covid-19 treatment at hospitals (down from 90,672), including 1,686 seriously ill patients (down from 1,742) and 397 dependent on ventilators (down from 406).

Global Covid-19 cases rose by 601,218 in 24 hours to 256.32 million. The worldwide death toll went up by 7,628 to 5.15 million.

The US had the most cases at 48.39 million, up 99,146, and the most deaths at 789,155, up 1,147.

Dr Apisamai quoted the World Health Organization as saying it was concerned about Covid-19 outbreaks in European countries.

She said the Netherlands, where 73% of the population was fully vaccinated, imposed three-week-long lockdowns from Nov 13 and Denmark was reviewing its mask-free policy implemented in September.

Germany recorded more than 60,000 new cases and its health system for critically ill patients had problems, Dr Apisamai said.

The United Kingdom had more than 46,000 new cases despite wide vaccine coverage.

Although people were fully vaccinated, outbreaks could occur because vaccinated people could still transmit the disease. Fatalities were high among those who were not vaccinated, she said.

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