Covid UPDATE: 4,887 new cases and 32 deaths, provincial totals

A spike in daily new Covid-19 infections was reported in Thailand today with more than half of the 4,887 infections confirmed today linked to outbreaks at 2 Bangkok prisons. Thailand now has 32,661 active Covid-19 cases, a record high in Thailand since the start of the pandemic last year. There has been a total of 93,794 Covid-19 infections since last year, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration.

32 new Covid-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 518. A spokesperson for the CCSA says the patient fatalities continue to primarily be the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.

Out of the new infections reported today, 2,835 are inmates at Bangkok prisons. Health officials rolled out proactive testing at both the Bangkok Remand Prison and the Women’s Correctional Institution. A CCSA spokesperson says the infected inmates were immediately taken to healthcare facilities for treatment and the prison personnel have been vaccinated.

Most of the other new Covid-19 infections continue to be in Bangkok and surrounding provinces. Many patients contract Covid-19 from infected family members.

Vaccines…

So far, 2 million Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Thailand. Only 645,500 people, or 1% of the population in Thailand, have received both doses of the vaccine. So far, Phuket has vaccinated 22% of residents on the island, moving forward toward its goal of 70% of the population vaccinated by the end of June to reopen to foreign tourists.