Third Narathiwat district closed as South African variant spreads
Bacho on Monday became the third district in Narathiwat to be closed after an outbreak of the South African variant of coronavirus (B1.351) in the southern border province.
Three variant cases discovered in Tak Bai earlier this month have spawned eight more infections, prompting the closure of Tak Bai, Su-ngai Padi, and now Bacho district.
The new variant infections were reported as Bacho and Su-ngai Padi logged 26 and 15 new Covid-19 cases, respectively.
The eight new cases of the South African variant were linked to the cluster outbreak in Tak Bai, Department of Medical Sciences' director-general Supakit Sirilak confirmed.
Another four samples in the far South had tested positive for the UK variant, two of them in Pattani, he said.
He added that the department is currently tracing contacts of the South Africa variant cases in Tak Bai district.
"Meanwhile, the department will ask agencies in the area to collect samples from people in neighbouring provinces for us," he added.
