The government on Thursday announced 129 daily Covid-19 fatalities - equalling the Omicron-wave record set on Monday - and 21,931 new cases, the second consecutive increase in a rate that's expected to accelerate in the days following the end of the Songkran holiday period.
Thursday's figures compared with the 128 coronavirus-related fatalities and 20,455 new cases reported on Wednesday morning.
The new numbers did not include 20,926 positive results from antigen tests over the past 24 hours. This would raise the total to 42,857.
As of Wednesday, a total of 188,926 people were receiving Covid-19 treatment (down from 191,743 on the previous day), including 49,403 in hospitals (down from 49,545). Among the remainder 39,258 were in field hospitals/hospitel facilities (down from 41,057) and 99,589 in home/community isolation (down from 100,428).
Of those in hospital, 2,021 were seriously ill patients with lung inflammation (down from 2,049) with 885 dependent on ventilators (down from 902).
Of the seriously ill patients, Bangkok had the most cases at 209, followed by 84 in Samut Prakan, 75 in Nakhon Ratchasima, 73 in Chon Buri and 67 in Suphan Buri.
The 24-hour period also saw 24,619 patients discharged from hospitals after recovering.
According to the CCSA, the 129 people who died were aged from one to 99 years and included one Myanmar national, an American and a Briton.
Bangkok logged 10 new deaths and there were 11 fatalities in adjacent provinces - five in Samut Prakan, four in Pathum Thani and one each in Nonthaburi and Nakhon Pathom.
Other central plains provinces further from the capital had 36 deaths - six in Chon Buri, four each in Prachin Buri and Kanchanaburi, three each in Saraburi and Lop Buri, two each in Ang Thong, Samut Songkhram, Sa Kaeo, Nakhon Sawan and Prachuap Khiri Khan and one each in Uthai Thani, Chachoengsao, Chanthaburi, Trat, Phetchaburi and Ratchaburi.
The North reported 13 deaths - six in Chiang Mai, three in Kamphaeng Phet and one each in Uttaradit, Tak, Phichit and Mae Hong Son.
The Northeast saw 51 new fatalities - nine in Roi Et, six each in Loei and Ubon Ratchathani, five in Sakon Nakhon, four each in Maha Sarakham and Si Sa Ket, three each in Surin and Udon Thani, two each in Nakhon Ratchasima, Buri Ram, Nong Khai and Kalasin and one each in Nong Bua Lam Phu, Nakhon Phanom and Amnat Charoen.
The South had eight deaths - three each in Songkhla and Satun and two in Nakhon Si Thammarat.
(Screenshot from https://epidemic-stats.com/coronavirus/thailand)
The 21,931 new cases consisted of 21,787 new cases in the general population, 29 among prison inmates and 115 new arrivals from other countries.
Of the new infections in the general population, 21,732 were confirmed at hospitals and 55 via mass testing.
Bangkok continued to lead the most daily cases at 2,907, followed by 996 in Khon Kaen, 798 in Chon Buri, 775 in Samut Prakan, 638 in Nakhon Si Thammarat, 635 in Si Sa Ket, 603 in Samut Sakhon, 565 in Roi Et, 481 in Chachoengsao and 471 in Buri Ram.
The 115 imported cases came from 26 countries. They included 18 from France, 15 from Cambodia, 10 each from Australia and Germany and nine from the United Kingdom.
Since the pandemic started in early 2020, there have been 4,106,230 Covid-19 cases, including 1,882,795 this year, with 3,889,912 complete recoveries to date.
The accumulated death toll stood at 27,392 since the beginning of the pandemic, including 5,694 so far this year.
Global Covid-19 cases rose by 904,073 in 24 hours to 506.97 million. The worldwide death toll went up by 3,222 to 6.23 million.
Over the past seven days, South Korea had the most cases of 752,576, followed by France with 661,955 cases, Germany with 659,186 and Italy with 390,381 cases.
