BANGKOK, 20 Dec 2020:
Thailand will test more than 10,000 people in the next three days after a record hike in Covid-19 cases yesterday, linked to a seafood market in Samut Sakhon, near here.
To date, a total of 689 Covid-19 cases have been linked to a shrimp seller in the southwest province of Samut Sakhon – including two cases in Bangkok, two in Nakhon Pathom and three in Samut Prakan, according to the Public Health Ministry.
Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) spokesman Thaweesilp Wissnuyothin said health authorities are to conduct 10,300 tests in eight provinces from today until Wednesday.
“The active case detection exercise for Covid-19 will continue in Samut Sakhon, where the outbreak occurred and in nearby provinces such as Samut Songkram, Nakhon Pathom, Ratchaburi, Phetchaburi and Kanchanaburi,” he said at a press conference today.
Over the last 24 hours, Thailand has recorded more than 600 new Covid-19 cases, including 516 reported last night.
Separately, Samut Sakhon’s deputy provincial governor Surasak Polyangsong said 146 migrant workers tested positive for Covid-19 today.
On Dec 16, a 67-year-old woman, who sells shrimp at the market with no history of travelling abroad had tested positive.
Following a surge in Covid-19 cases, a curfew has been imposed in Samut Sakhon from 10pm to 5am.
All schools, sport stadiums, boxing stadiums, nurseries, beauty salons are among those closed and only the take-away food operation is allowed.
Besides that, migrant workers are not allowed to leave Samut Sakhon while Thai citizens can leave only after informing the authorities their names and destination.
It is the biggest outbreak on record in the Southeast Asian nation, which has reported a total of 4,300 infections and 60 deaths, far below much of the Western world.
The majority of the migrant workers were from Myanmar, the local press said.
Thailand maintains strict control of its borders but there are no restrictions to travel within the country, although mask-use in public spaces is obligatory.
Thai authorities had relaxed Covid-19 measures in recent months in a bid to revive the tourism sector, which represents between 12 and 20% of its GDP.
Any traveller arriving in Thailand has to observe 14 days of quarantine in a hotel or medical centre.
– Bernama, EFE