50 Buddhist nuns positive for Covid at Chiang Mai dharma practice centre

50 Buddhist nuns have tested positive for Covid-19, causing the Chiang Mai dharma practice centre, where they live, to be closed. The Chiang Mai public health office closed the centre, located in the main city district for 2 weeks from Saturday. People who took part in activities at the centre from April 7 are being asked to take a Covid test at the field hospital in the Chiang Mai International Exhibition and Convention Centre.

The dharma practice centre is also being investigated for allegedly providing other services without permission, including free traditional disease treatments like herniated discs, knee pain, and tendinitis. 20 patients that were first linked to the Covid cluster at the centre have been under care since Friday. Yesterday saw 14 more infections linked to the centre, totalling 34. Today, that number has risen to 50.

3 more clusters were identified with the first being at a company where 13 workers in the same division tested positive for the virus. One of the workers who visited an entertainment venue is thought to have spread the virus to his coworkers. He was asymptomatic and went to work infected, ate meals with coworkers and attended meetings. The workers says he did not know he was infected.

The second cluster sprouted from a funeral in Om Koi district. An infected person participated in the funeral, passing the virus to 7 others. Now, 200 people who were in close contact with the infected person are being tested. The third cluster arose from a party in a direct-sales firm where 25 people were infected.

Today, there are another 2,438 new Covid-19 infections reported in Thailand. The number is a sight drop on Saturday’s total of 2,839 new infections. But Sunday’s totals are often lower due to the reporting from provinces.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post