Ministry reports 35 more cases

The Public Health Ministry yesterday reported 35 new cases of coronavirus disease, raising the number of local infections to 212, and warned that lack of personal discipline could make the outbreak uncontrollable.

Disease Control DepartmentSuwannachai Watanayingcharoenchai divided the new cases into two groups.

He said the first group of 29 comprised people who had been in contact with previous patients and the venues where previous patients visited — 13 visitors to boxing stadiums, four to entertainment places, and 12 in close contact with previous patients.

The second group of six consisted of one Thai returnee from Cambodia, four people who had worked closely with foreigners. Dr Suwannachai said one person’s case status was still under investigation.

“In the past week, the number of patients soared because screening was expanded to groups of people and places believed to transmit the disease,” Dr Suwannachai said.

“This goes along with the disease investigation, which showed that new patients exhibited risky behaviour and did not comply with advice from the Public Health Ministry.

“They continued to visit risk areas and crowded places, partied, and failed to reduce social activities, to keep their distance from others and quarantine themselves.”

“Those ill people transmitted the disease to family members and friends, and infected children and elderly people, and those with chronic illnesses suffered severe symptoms.

“If this situation continues, the epidemic in this country will be vast and uncontrollable.”

He asked visitors to Lumpinee and Ratchadamnoen boxing rings from March 6 to 8, and people who visited entertainment places and night restaurants on March 9 and 10 in Bangkok to monitor their own condition for 14 days.

He advised they see a doctor if they had a cough, sore throat, runny nose or breathing difficulties.

The Public Health Ministry found infected people visited these and similar places from March 6-10, Dr Suwannachai said.

Late yesterday, one patient, a 31-yearold Thai woman, was discharged from Rajavithi Hospital in Bangkok.

Of the 212 cases, 42 had recovered and were discharged, 169 remained at hospitals, including three critically ill patients, and one had died.