Thailand sees sharp rise in new Covid-19 cases (Updated)

TUESDAY, March 17, 2020

The number of new Covid-19 cases rose sharply by 30, Dr Sukhum Karnchanapimai, permanent secretary at the Public Health Ministry, said on Tuesday (March 16), bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Thailand to 177.

Meanwhile three patients have recovered and been discharged from hospital.

Eleven of the new Covid-19 patients got infected at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, which has now been temporarily shut down.
One person got infected from an entertainment venue in the Thong Lor area of northern Bangkok.
Two new Covid-19 patients were close contacts to the recent cases

Nine patients were returning after travelling abroad. One taxi driver was infected and six confirmed patients are seen as the possible source of the infection.

Twenty-two people are waiting for lab results.

As of March 17, the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases had risen to 177. Of these, 41 have been discharged following recovery, 135 are under medical care, and one person has died.

As for the people returning from Italy, 77 of the 83 staying at the Sattahip Navy base had tested negative for Covid-19 infection, he said.

Dr Sukhum revealed that Bangkok had the most number of confirmed cases in the country. The Public Health Ministry has found that the boxing stadium and entertainment venues were major sources of Covid-19 infection.

Meanwhile, there have been no cases of infections in department stores or convenience stores so far.

Many people in Bangkok are going to private hospitals for check-ups.

A Bangkok administration official said a spare ward has been prepared if the capacities of hospitals are limited -- to accommodate around 200 patients.
The main challenges for the ministry are reducing the number of non-emergency patients in hospitals and finding ad-hoc clinics for seasonal flu patients to separate them from Covid-19 patients and risk groups.

The ministry has prepared around 40,000 tablets of Favipiravir and will order more, which will be distributed in both Bangkok and other provinces.

Ministry shortlists hotels to serve as hospitals if situation worsens as infections see big jump

The ministry has prepared a list of contact hotels which have the potential to serve as places for quarantine if hospitals were pressured for space. He hoped that the figure of infections would not increase much higher.

As for the Covid-19 test kits, five import companies had passed the FDA standard, while the kits of others did not have enough accuracy.

Meanwhile, the Department of Medical Sciences under the Ministry of Public Health, is researching to provide cheaper test kits.