Concern over gatherings as infections jump again
Covid-19 cases jumped by a further 33 yesterday, bringing the total number of domestic infections to 147.
Some new patients had attended mass gatherings despite government warnings not to do so, according to a statement by the Ministry of Public Health.
Seven of the 33 had watched Muay Thai bouts on Saturday, March 6 at Lumpini Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, three were pub-goers, six had interacted with confirmed patients, six were returnees from abroad, six had worked with foreign tourists, three were Danish nationals and two were Muslims from southern provinces who attended a mosque event in Malaysia early this month.
Ministry spokesman Rungruang Kitpati admitted that the emergence of cluster infections was of significant concern.
“What we are trying to do now is to keep a balance between our limited medical resources and the number of patients that keeps on rising. In that sense, we don’t want to see a surge in the number of patients over a short period of time because that might mean we lose the battle,” he said at a press conference yesterday in which the government maintained Covid19 in Thailand remains at Stage 2.
The ministry has prepared more than 30,000 medical staff and 100,000 beds to deal with the outbreak, he said.
With 147 confirmed Covid-19 cases, 108 remain in hospital with 38 recovered and one death.
In addition to the confirmed cases, a further 27 people await Covid-19 test results, while six of 83 returnees from Italy are under close watch.
However, no fevers have been reported among the Thais back from Italy and are now under 14-day quarantine at the navy base in Chonburi’s Sattahip district.
Between Jan 3 and March 15, there have been 6,545 patients placed under monitoring, of whom 2,233 are still in hospital having mostly been diagnosed with influenza.