Thailand records 11 new coronavirus infections
A child wearing a face mask is carried into a train station at rush hour in Bangkok on May 25, 2020, as Thais continued their return to work following the lifting of restrictions to halt the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.
After a short respite, new COVID-19 infections in Thailand jumped back into double digits today, with 11 new cases.
Cumulative infections in the country are now 3,065, with 11 more people recovering, bringing total recoveries to 2,945. There were no new fatalities reported today, with the death toll remaining at 57. 63 others are still in hospital.
CCSA spokesman Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin said at the daily briefing today (Thursday) that all 11 new cases are Thais arriving from India, Qatar and Kuwait and are currently in state quarantine.
An asymptomatic woman, currently quarantined at a facility in Samut Prakan after arriving from India, tested positive for coronavirus.
Of five male masseurs and a maid, who were all working in Qatar and tested positive on arrival in Thailand, only three had symptoms of infection. Another four, arriving on May 14th from Kuwait, tested positive for the virus a couple of days after developing a fever and anosmia.
Dr. Taweesin said he does not want to link the infected masseurs to the current assessment of the COVID-19 situation in Thailand, ahead of the third phase of lockdown relaxations, because the country’s situation differs from that elsewhere.
While new locally-infected cases remains at zero, the CCSA spokesman said there were 9 new infections among people in isolation yesterday and 11 today, adding that he wants to avoid Singapore’s experience, where the number of infections in the second wave was in the tens of thousands, compared to a few hundred cases in initial outbreak.
Those returning from Malaysia account for the majority in isolation, numbering 13,353 with 4 infections. There are 3 infections among 1,883 returnees from India, 7 among 1,466 returnees from the US and 65 among returnees from Indonesia.
Dr. Taweesin dismissed speculation that boxing stadia and massage parlors will be allowed to reopen in the next stage of lockdown relaxations, insisting that no such decision has been made.
He hinted that, though restrictions on more business activities in shopping malls and sports may be eased, and that the curfew hours further reduced, all business and sport activities which are to allowed resume next week will be legally required to use the Thai Chana tracing app, because they are deemed to be high risk activities.
