17 new Covid infections in new Samut Prakan cluster, 584 being monitored

The Department of Disease Control says 17 new cases of Covid-19 have been reported in migrant workers in the central province of Samut Prakan, part of the Bangkok Metropolitan Region and directly south and east of central Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi Airport is in Samut Prakan). Opas Karnkawinpong from the DDC says the infections were detected at migrant worker camps, and an additional 584 people are being closely monitored.

“Construction sites have multiple risk factors, such as shared facilities and in this case, the workers violated Covid-19 prevention rules by throwing a party.”

The Bangkok Post reports that the first carrier is thought to be a 29 year old Burmese worker, who reported for testing on March 13. When she tested positive, the DDC carried out proactive testing at migrant labour camps on Soi Sukhumvit 107 and 117, where an additional 16 people tested positive. 2 of those are Burmese, 4 are Thai, and 10 are Cambodian.

Meanwhile, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, there were 81 new cases of the virus reported yesterday. 45 were recorded in hospitals and 36 were detected through proactive mass testing, most of them in the central province of Samut Sakhon, where a resurgence of the virus told hold late last year.

Officials are also focused on containing the recent cluster detected in market traders in the Bang Khae district of the capital (west of the Chao Phraya). According to the Bangkok Post report, cases linked to Bang Khae have been reported as far away as the southern province of Songkhla and the north-eastern province of Si Sa Ket.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration says another 16 cases linked to Bang Khae were reported yesterday, meaning the cluster has now given rise to 384 cases to date. Mass vaccination is taking place in Bang Khae, with 2,600 receiving the vaccine so far.

The BMA is also planning a second field hospital near Rajpipattana Hospital in the district of Thawi Wattana. The first field hospital opened in January, near Bang Khunthian Hospital, and has 600 beds.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post