Thailand’s southern province of Phatthalung has become the country’s 61st and latest province to record COVID-19 cases, as 374 new infections are recorded nationwide today (Sunday).

321 of the new cases were found through pro-active screenings, 43 are locally acquired cases and ten are imported cases in state quarantine, said CCSA spokesman Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin.

Cumulative infections, since early last year, are 12,054, with 9,015 recoveries and 2,969 others are still being treated in hospitals, including ten in a critical condition and on respirators. The death toll stands at 70.

Since December 15^th, which marks the start of the second outbreak, 7,817 infections have been recorded in 61 out of Thailand’s 77 provinces.

Dr. Taweesin said that the first three cases in Phatthalung province were found during pro-active screening.

There are now 10 provinces with more than 50 infections each, 14 provinces have between 11 and 50 cases each and 37 provinces have 10 or fewer cases. 16 provinces are still free of infections.

He stressed the need for pro-active screening and public cooperation in Red Zone provinces, especially in Samut Sakhon where there are hundreds of thousands of Myanmar migrant workers, thousands of whom are asymptomatic cases, adding that the more screenings are done, the more cases are found.