“A first case of ‘New Coronavirus Pneumonia’ has been identified in Thailand, but the Public Health Ministry is assuring the public there is no wider outbreak of the virus. The mystery virus has now been identified by Chinese scientists and was earlier nicknamed as the mystery Wuhan Pneumonia,” authorities said when the first case of COVID-19 was recorded in Thailand.
2020 started with no cases in the country, although it was the first nation outside China to announce a local infection the first week of January.
On New Year’s Eve, almost a year after it, the CCSA has reported 194 new coronavirus infections with 181 local cases and 13 infections among arrivals.
With this report, the total number of infections over the year rose. Thailand is ending the last month of 2020 with 6,884 COVID-19 cases.
If compared with other country’s figures, the number is not quite alarming at first glance. However, two weeks ago, the total was 4,281.
The latest coronavirus outbreak, which extended to 51 provinces – including Nong Khai, Maha Sarakham, Kanchanaburi as the newest added to the list – has brought a significant 4-digit number of cases.
But there is good news: of the total, 4,240 people have recovered, including 28 discharged in the past 23 hours. Also, 2,583 are currently undergoing treatment to fight the coronavirus infection.
Bangkok, Chon Buri, and Rayong, where the most cases have been reported, added more than 51 cases each today. Health authorities said that nine Burmese migrants are among the new groups of COVID-19 infections.
According to Dr. Taweesilp Visanuyothin, there were 4,869 local infections and 1,392 infected migrants among the overall total.
The cluster broke out two weeks ago, when authorities reported the outbreak in the fishing and seafood market community located on Samut Sakhon Coast.
Dr. Taweesilp also noted that the daily case registered on December 31 was lower than the 250 new cases reported the day before.
However, he warned that there was still more to come “because there is still a substantial number of new cases pending verification. More new cases will be added on and on”.
11 cases of the 194 newly ratified are related to the fishing community in Samut Sakhon.
128 new infections are under investigation. Those were reported as follows: 77 in Rayong, 20 in Samut Sakhon, 16 in Chon Buri, 6 in Samut Prakan, 5 in Chanthaburi, 3 in Trat, and 1 in Chachoengsao.
Besides, as the Bangkok Post broadcasted, the new vases detected in quarantine arrived from Turkey (2), the United Arab Emirates(2), Hong Kong (1), Canada (1), the United Kingdom (1), Malaysia (1), Indonesia (1), South Korea (1), Japan (1), Kuwait (1) and Russia (1).
