20,920 new Covid cases, 160 more deaths
People wait their turn for vaccination at Keha Choomchon Lat Krabang School in Bangkok on Wednesday. (Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)
There were a record 20,920 new Covid-19 cases and 160 more fatalities over the past 24 hours, the Public Health Ministry reported on Thursday morning.
There were 20,658 cases in the general population and 262 among prison inmates.
Over the past 24 hours, 17,926 Covid-19 patients were diagnosed recovered and were discharged from hospitals.
Since April 1, around when the third wave of Covid-19 began, there have been 664,442 Covid-19 patients, 446,306 of whom have recovered.
Since the pandemic started early last year, there have been 693,305 Covid-19 cases, 473,732 of whom recovered.
The death toll was at 5,569 in the third wave and 5,663 from the beginning of the pandemic early last year.
The previous high of daily Covid-19 cases was at 20,200 on Wednesday when the country logged the record high of 188 new fatalities in 24 hours.
Apisamai Srirangson, a spokeswoman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said during the afternoon briefing at Government House that the 160 new fatalities were aged 12-95 years and included two pregnant women.
She said 158 were Thais and two were from Myanmar. People aged 60 years and over formed 67% of the latest fatalities.
Eighty-six either lived in or visited outbreak areas, 38 contracted the virus from colleagues and neighbours and 23 got it from other family members.
Bangkok had 78 new fatalities while adjacent provinces logged 29 deaths – eight each in Samut Prakan and Pathum Thani, seven in Nonthaburi and six in Samut Sakhon.
The Northeast reported 15 new deaths – three in Roi Et, two each in Nakhon Ratchasima, Sakon Nakhon and Kalasin, and one each in Nakhon Phanom, Buri Ram, Si Sa Ket, Nong Bua Lam Phu, Udon Thani and Ubon Ratchathani.
Southern provinces had nine new deaths – six in Pattani and one each in Songkhla, Phuket and Surat Thani.
The North recorded 15 more deaths – seven in Nakhon Sawan, three each in Phetchabun and Tak and one each in Chai Nat and Uthai Thani. Central plain provinces reportd 14 more fatalities – six in Chon Buri, four in Rayong and one each in Chanthaburi, Chachoengsao, Ratchaburi and Sa Kaeo.
The 20,920 new cases included 20,650 local infections and eight imported cases. Of the local infections, 17,312 were confirmed at hospitals and 3,338 via mass testing.
Bangkok logged the most new cases. with 4,140, followed by 1,326 in Samut Prakan, 1,311 in Chon Buri, 1,279 in Samut Sakhon, 754 in Nonthaburi, 565 in Nakhon Ratchasima, 494 in Saraburi, 463 in Pathum Thani, 449 in Chachoengsao and 427 in Ayutthaya.
Greater Bangkok had 8,332 new cases and 106 deaths. Four southern border provinces recorded 983 new cases and seven more fatalities and 67 other provinces showed 11,335 new cases and 46 new deaths. The figures excluded data from prisons.
Samut Sakhon had two new clusters – 63 cases at a cold storage factory and 45 cases at a cardboard box factory in Muang district. Samut Prakan had two new clusters – 29 cases at a metal casting factory in Bang Phli district and 12 cases at a carpet factory in Phra Pradaeng district.
Chon Buri had two new clusters – 18 cases at a wire company in Si Racha district and 13 cases at a metal plant in Muang district. Ayutthaya had a new cluster of 19 cases at a cargo warehouse in Wang Noi district. Phuket had a new cluster of 18 cases at a fish pier in Muang district.
The eight imported cases were from the United Kingdom (3), South Korea (1), the United Arab Emirates (1), Cambodia (2) and Myanmar (1).
On Wednesday, 213,910 patients received treatment for Covid-19 at hospitals. Of these, 4,993 suffered from lung inflammation and 1,058 of them were dependent on ventilators.
Global Covid-19 cases rose by 683,085 in 24 hours to 200.99 million. The worldwide death toll went up by 10,105 to 4.27 million. The United States had the most cases at 36.18 million, up 112,279, and the most deaths at 631,299, up 656. Thailand ranked 40th globally by its 693,305 accumulated cases.
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