Thailand recorded one more death from COVID-19 and 78 new cases today, according to the CCSA.

The latest victim was a 56-year old diabetic woman with high cholesterol who lived in Samut Sakhon province. She fell sick on February 15th and tests confirmed she was infected with coronavirus. She was admitted to a hospital and put on a respirator, but her condition worsened until her death on Friday.

Of the new cases today, 67 are locally acquired infections and 11 among arrivals from abroad. Samut Sakhon, again, topped the list with 48 new cases, followed by Bangkok’s 13 cases.  There were 4 new cases in Pathum Thani and 1 case each in Tak and Ang Thong provinces.

The 11 imported cases include 4 from Bangladesh and 1 each from Sri Lanka, the US, the UK, Afghanistan, Poland, Nigeria and Zimbabwe.

Cumulative infections in Thailand, since early last year, are 26,757, with 26,086 recoveries. The death toll is 86 and 585 are still being treated in hospitals.

Food and Drug Administration Secretary-General Dr. Paisal Dunkhum has assured that the state is ready to help the private sector, especially private hospitals, to import COVID-19 vaccines.

He said that the FDA has opened a special channel to facilitate the registration of vaccines to be imported by the private sector and that a permit can be granted within 30 days, if the importer has submitted all the required documents.

He maintained that all the vaccines, whether imported by the state or the private sector, must be administered in hospitals only.