Covid-19 update: 7 new cases found in quarantine (July 18)

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration reported 7 new cases today, the biggest increase over a 24 hour period in weeks. All the new patients returned from foreign countries and were diagnosed in state quarantine facilities. 2 had returned from the US, 1 from Bahrain and 3 from Egypt.

Thailand has gone 56 days without a domestically transmitted case of Covid-19. All cases since May 23 have been imported, the vast majority by Thai nationals returning from abroad. Most have been found during testing in state quarantine.

In Thailand, the total number of cases since the outbreak began in January now stands 3,246, with 58 deaths, 3,096 recoveries, and 92 still in hospital. Thailand has dropped to 101 in the list of countries with most Covid-19 cases. The US tops the list with 3.7 million, followed by Brazil with 2 million and India with a million.

CCSA spokesman Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin also mentioned that 607 Thai nationals will return home today, and 510 more will return tomorrow.

Of today’s 607 returnees, 171 are coming from Austria, 156 from the Netherlands, 44 from Ethiopia and 236 from the US. Flights tomorrow will bring 246 from Bahrain and 264 from Australia.

As of yesterday, the number of people quarantined by the state since the outbreak was 59,519, of whom 51,122 had already returned home. Total infected persons in state quarantine were 309.

Dr. Taweesin added that sports tournaments and concerts will be held in Rayong in August to promote tourism in the province. He emphasisied that those who visit Rayong from other provinces and return will not be ordered to quarantine themselves, as Rayong and neighbouring Koh Samet are considered safe and virus-free, despite the recent case of an Egyptian airman who violated quarantine and went shopping in the province, and who later tested positive for the virus.

As a PR stunt to prove the safety of the Rayong province, the local city mayor has offered to pay 100,000 baht to anyone who visits the province and contracts the virus there.

SOURCE: Nation Thailand  Nation Thailand