46 Covid-19 cases related to Tachileik, health officials say situation is “under control”

With a significant number of people returning to Chiang Rai from the border town Tachileik and testing positive for Covid-19, health officials say the situation is “under control” and it is safe to travel to Chiang Rai and other northern provinces.

Only 2 people out of the more than 6,500 people considered to be “at risk” of infection have tested positive for the Covid-19, according to health officials. The local transmissions were in Chiang Rai and Sing Buri.

A total of 46 Covid-19 cases are related to the outbreak in Tachileik where many Thai women worked at entertainment venues, according to Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration spokesperson Taweesilp Visanuyothin. Some women worked at the 1G1-7 Hotel in the border town where a resident claims the virus spread through prostitution at the venue.

With the rising number of coronavirus cases in Tachileik, 196 recently entered Thailand through official border crossings and Taweesilp says 27 of them, or 14%, tested positive for Covid-19.

17 other people tested positive after crossing the border illegally, evading the mandatory quarantine. Some travelled across Thailand to other provinces before testing positive. Most cases were detected in Chiang Rai while 5 were detected in Chiang Mai and 3 in Bangkok. Infections were also detected in Phayao, Phichit, Ratchaburi and Sing Buri.

Director general of the Disease Control Department, Opas Karnkawinpong, says most of the Tachileik-related cases in Chiang Rai have been detected in quarantine.

“Therefore, the overall situation is under control… There has not been a new case in Chiang Mai since Dec 5 and new cases in Chiang Rai were found with proactive operations bringing returnees from Myanmar to the (disease control) system.”

“There has not been a new case in Phayao since Dec 1, in Bangkok since Dec 6, in Phichit since Dec 1, in Ratchaburi since Dec 2 and in Sing Buri since Dec 4. Disease control in these provinces is very strong.”

SOURCE: Bangkok Post

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