Thailand has reported 535 new cases of coronavirus in a day. This is the largest daily increase in a country that was previously thought to have managed to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
KP COVID-19 Case Thailand
- As many as 90 percent of the more than 500 new cases in Thailand are asymptomatic
- A curfew and other restrictions were in place in the province until January 3
- Thailand is considered an early success story in dealing with the pandemic
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More than 500 cases came from the country’s seafood industry, where there are large numbers of migrant workers.
The new outbreak emerged at a shrimp market in Samut Sakhon province, southwest of Bangkok on Friday.
The first case was reported in a 67 year old woman.
The Director General of the Department of Disease Control, Opas Karnkawinpong, told a press conference that 516 new cases were discovered after testing was carried out on 1,192 migrant workers.
According to him, more than 90 percent of participants were asymptomatic. A total of 535 new cases were reported on Saturday (19/12).
Health official Kiatiphum Wongrajit said authorities were currently conducting tests on 10,000 workers from Myanmar, with a total test target of 40,000.
“We are expecting more cases [sebagai hasil dari tes], “he said as quoted by the Bangkok Post.
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The total number of coronavirus infections in Thailand has now reached more than 4,900, with 60 deaths.
Before the new outbreak, Thailand’s worst daily case count was 188 as of March 22. The country has not recorded more than 50 daily cases since April 25.
The majority of migrant workers in Samut Sakhon are from Myanmar, a country where the coronavirus outbreak has been far worse than Thailand, which health authorities have praised for the early measures taken to limit the spread of the virus.
Myanmar has recorded more than 115,000 cases and more than 2,400 deaths.
“Although there is a possibility that more infections will be found in foreign communities around the shrimp market, they are a low-risk group due to their productive and healthy age,” said Dr. Opas.
