A sharp rise in Covid-19 cases has been reported nationwide over the past week, with 76,161 new infections and 40 additional deaths, sparking renewed concerns over the ongoing outbreak.
According to the Department of Disease Control (DDC), the data covers the period from May 24 to June 14. The new cases bring the cumulative total of infections since Jan 1 to 476,584.
Of the new cases, 72,166 were hospital admissions (inpatients), while 3,995 were treated as outpatients. The latest fatalities bring the national death toll for the year to 154.
The five provinces with the highest caseloads in the past week were: Bangkok (17,945 cases), Chon Buri (3,315), Nakhon Ratchasima (3,027), Chiang Mai (2,678) and Rayong (1,775).
Analysis by age group shows that the elderly population, aged 60 and older, remains the most vulnerable, accounting for 14,757 cases.
The next most affected age groups were 30–39 years (14,561) and 20–29 years (13,889), both of which represent highly active working-age groups with high levels of social interaction.
A weekly case trend graph from the DDC indicates that infection numbers continued to climb through week 24, highlighting sustained transmission across the country.
The ministry continues to urge the public to strictly follow disease prevention measures, including wearing masks in crowded places, practising hand hygiene, and receiving vaccination boosters, particularly among high-risk groups.
In a separate update on Monday, Dr Thira Woratanarat, from the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, said via his Facebook page that Covid-19 had claimed 116 lives over the past four weeks, a figure 29 times higher than that of seasonal influenza, and nearly four times higher than deaths caused by other forms of pneumonia.
Dr Thira's warning emphasised that Covid-19 remains a serious public health threat and that complacency could lead to a further rise in fatalities if preventive measures are ignored.
The rising toll has intensified calls for renewed public awareness and precautions, particularly as Thailand continues to navigate the endemic phase of Covid-19 with fluctuating case numbers.
