Many of the new COVID-19 infections recently found in 32 provinces are linked to arrivals from Bangkok and nearby provinces, said the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) today (Thursday), as the country recorded yet another new daily death toll high of 57.

Many of the people spreading the coronavirus across the country are believed to be construction workers who fled their dormitories in Bangkok and nearby provinces a couple of days before Monday’s enforcement of a partial lockdown.

Senior government officials, however, insist that the number of “escapees” is small, because the government has promised Thai workers, who stay behind, half of their usual wages while the construction sites are closed.

New infections, allegedly linked to workers from in and around Bangkok, were found in 6 northern provinces, 12 provinces in the Northeast, 9 provinces in the central and eastern regions and in 1 southern province.

CCSA Deputy Spokesperson Dr. Apisamai Srirangsan said that 71 provinces nationwide are now seeing new infections, leaving only four without.

While insisting that no travel restrictions have been imposed on people in the maximum controlled areas, such as Bangkok and its neighbouring provinces, she urged travelers from these areas to notify provincial officials upon their arrival at their destination for proper screening.

She added that all hospitals have been told to conduct COVID-19 tests on all patients who have a fever, cough and/or catarrh.

5,533 new COVID-19 cases have been recorded in the past 24 hours in Thailand. Of this number, 44 are prisoners and 12 are foreign arrivals in quarantine.

Cumulative infections, since April 1^st, 2021, are 235,971, including 52,052 under treatment in general and field hospitals and “hospitels”. Cumulative infections, since early last year, are 264,834 and total death toll is 2,080.  210,702 people have recovered.

Of the 57 fatalities today, 34 are in Bangkok, 9 in Samut Prakan, 3 in Pathum Thani, 2 each in Nakhon Pathom and Nakhon Nayok, and one each in Chiang Rai, Chaiyaphum, Songkhla, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Narathiwat, Samut Sakhon and Suphan Buri.

New clusters found in the past 24 hours are at a poultry processing plant in Don Toom district of Nakhon Pathom (104 infections) and a college in Wang Nam Yen district of Sa Kaeo (11 infections).