The country registered 28 more Covid-19 fatalities and 8,450 new cases during the previous 24 hours, the Public Health Ministry announced on Friday morning.
This compared with the 22 coronavirus-related fatalities and 8,078 new cases reported on Thursday morning.
Apisamai Srirangson, a spokeswoman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said in the afternoon briefing that the latest 28 fatalities were between the ages of 17 and 93 years.
She said 15 had not been vaccinated against the disease and three had only one dose. The 10 others had their second doses no longer than six months ago, she said, and encouraged people to get a third, booster shot.
Bangkok reported two new coronavirus-related deaths while three other fatalities were reported in the adjacent provinces of Samut Prakan (2) and Pathum Thani (1).
Other central plain provinces further from the capital recorded six more deaths - in Sa Kaeo (2), Chon Buri (1), Prachin Buri (1), Rayong (1) and Saraburi (1).
The Northeast reported seven deaths - in Chaiyaphum (2), Udon Thani (2), Kalasin (1), Buri Ram (1), and Sakon Nakhon (1).
The South reported nine more deaths - in Nakhon Si Thammarat (3), Surat Thani (2), Krabi (1), Chumphon (1), Yala (1) and Songkhla (1).
The North had one fatality, in Phitsanulok.
There were 8,191 new cases in the general population, 48 among prison inmates and 211 imported cases.
Of the local Covid-19 infections, 8,153 were confirmed at hospitals and 38 via mass testing.
Bangkok still had the most new cases at 1,292, followed by 743 in Samut Prakan, 499 in Nonthaburi, 446 in Chon Buri, 379 in Phuket, 245 in Pathum Thani, 239 in Ratchaburi, 192 in Nakhon Ratchasima, 182 in Si Sa Ket and 168 Lop Buri.
“New cases are rising in greater Bangkok and whole and partial tourism pilot provinces,” Dr Apisamai said.
She also said there were new clusters of Covid-19 cases at public and private schools, kindergartens, nurseries, boarding schools and sports schools in Nan, Ratchaburi, Phetchaburi, Prachin Buri, Sa Kaeo, Roi Et, Loei, Si Sa Ket, Samut Prakan, Nong Khai and Yasothon.
“All schools with clusters have strict disease control measures and their staff were vaccinated, but risks came from activities that gathered people together such as sports activities and farewell parties for Mathayom 6 students who shared meals and ice cream scoops and removed face masks,” Dr Apisamai said.
There was a cluster of 311 cases at a boarding school for girls in Ratchaburi. The school management allowed about 570 students to return home during the New Year holiday. When they came back to school on Jan 14-16 they and their teachers tested negative with their first antigen test, she said.
“The second antigen test on Jan 23 found 120 cases… So far, 26 students have been admitted to conventional hospitals and 285 to field hospitals. The school was closed.”
The 211 imported cases included 48 from Russia, 21 from Kazakhstan, 14 from India and 10 from the United States.
On Thursday 83,698 people received Covid-19 treatment at hospitals (up from 82,760), including 528 seriously ill patients with lung inflammation (down from 548) and 102 dependent on ventilators (unchanged).
The 24-hour period also saw 7,484 Covid-19 patients discharged from hospitals after recovering from the coronavirus.
Since the pandemic started in early 2020, there have been 2,415,472 Covid-19 cases, including 192,037 cases this year, with 2,309,648 complete recoveries to date.
The death toll stood at 22,126 since the beginning of the pandemic, including 428 so far this year.
The kingdom’s 24-hour high of Covid-related fatalities was 312 recorded on Aug 13, 2021. The highest number of cases was 23,418 on Aug 18, 2021.
Global Covid-19 cases rose by 3.49 million in 24 hours to 366.69 million. The worldwide death toll went up by 10,063 to 5.65 million.
The US had the most cases at 74.69 million, up 497,351, and the most deaths at 902,140, up 2,689. Thailand ranked 29th by its 2.41 accumulated cases.
