Thai Covid numbers surpass 2000 with another daily spike

BANGKOK: Thailand recorded 2,070 new Covid-19 cases, the biggest daily spike since the pandemic started in January 2020, as the kingdom faces an uphill battle to deal with a third wave of infections.

Moreover, it is the first-time daily cases surpassed 2,000. Over the last 24 hours, Thailand also recorded another four deaths bringing the total number of infections to 50,183 cases and 121 fatalities.

The Centre for the Covid19 Situation Administration (CCSA) spokesman Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin said the fresh wave of outbreak has recorded 21,320 Covid-19 cases and 27 fatalities in just 23 days.

Of the new cases, he said 2,062 were local transmission and eight imported cases including two Thais returning from Malaysia.

He said Bangkok topped the list with highest number of cases at 740, followed by Chiang Mai (237), Chonburi (125) and Samut Prakan (79).

“A total of 19, 873 remain hospitalised including 15,642 at hospitals and 4,231 at field hospitals. Besides that, a total of 352 people are in serious condition while 91 on ventilators,” he said at Covid-19 daily briefing here yesterday.

On the four new fatalities, he added that all were Thais aged between 29 and 83 years old with underlying health conditions.

Taweesin added that health authorities detected new cluster in an elderly care nursing home in Bangkok and another cluster in meditation venue in Chiang Mai.

The latest outbreak in Thailand which began in the capital Bangkok has spread to all provinces in the kingdom. To contain the outbreak, Thailand closed educational institutions and nightspots as well as banned alcohol sales in restaurants for at least two weeks starting April 18. Besides that, activities involving more than 50 people are prohibited.

Meanwhile, Thailand announced that Russia has accepted in principle its request for the Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine.