Ten people infected with COVID-19 have been found in metropolitan Bangkok in the past 24 hours among 427 new cases announced by health officials this morning.
At least three Siam Square venues have been shut after one ill woman was traced to them, while the vast majority of today’s new cases were migrant workers at ground zero of the outbreak in Samut Sakhon province, southwest of Bangkok. Tests found 397 more workers infected with the virus, making for a total of 1,248 found so far.
This morning, the Siam Square One shopping mall announced that three businesses – dessert shop Cheevit Cheeva, cosmetics retailer Eveandboy and restaurant Krua Dok Mai Khao (White Flower) – were shut down after health officials traced an infected woman to the area. The woman’s seafood restaurant, Somsak Pu-Ob 2 by BTS Krung Thon Buri, was also closed for two weeks.
Among today’s new cases, 16 related to the Samut Sakhon seafood market outbreak were found in seven provinces plus the capital including Wat Chaichana Songkram in Chinatown.
Ten were found in the metropolitan area: five in Bangkok, two in Pathum Thani, two in Samut Prakan, and one in Nakhon Pathom provinces. Outside the metro region, three cases were found in Saraburi, one in Chachoengsao, one in Phetchaburi and one in Uttaradit.
In Bangkok, two vegetable sellers from Samut Prakan were found to be ill. They had frequented areas throughout the capital.
The 14 other new cases were detected among travelers confined to state quarantine upon arrival. Today brings Thailand to 5,716 COVID-19 infections and 69 fatalities since January. A total of 4,078 have been discharged from hospitals.
The surge of cases has brought a newfound anxiety to the public and raft of preemptive measures.
Following Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha’s statement that another lockdown may be coming, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan today said it was possible if the outbreak wasn’t contained within 7 days.
Given that the lockdown appears to be spillover from that raging in Myanmar, he added more soldiers are patrolling the borders.
After being ground zero for a significant outbreak earlier this year, a Bangkok boxing stadium owned by the army, Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, learned its lesson and announced it was closing indefinitely as a precaution, according to stadium chief Lt. Gen. Suchart Dangprafai. Matches set for today and next week were canceled.
The stadium earlier this year was blamed for hundreds of COVID-19 cases and at least three deaths. It came to public attention when actor Matthew Deane Chanthavanij outed himself in March as a patient, a disclosure which helped pressure health officials to be more forthcoming with public health information. The venue’s entire board was fired in response.
The Rajadamnern Boxing Stadium announced early Tuesday afternoon that it will also close tomorrow onward. The Channel 7 Boxing Stadium however does not plan to close as its telecast matches do not have spectators.
In Samut Sakhon, where migrant workers, mostly from Myanmar, have been hit hard by an explosive outbreak, all stadiums, schools and entertainment venues have been ordered shut until further notice. Bangkok schools near the province have also closed.
With some domestic transmissions detected in Bangkok, the capital’s large-scale New Year’s Eve events have been canceled, and governor Aswin Kwanmuang has asked for both private and public party organizers to consider doing so as well, along with temples hosting customary gatherings to pray in the new year.
Despite Thailand racking up more than 1,000 cases in a matter of days, the public face of the response, task force spokesman Taweesilp Wissanuyothin, insists it should not be called a “second wave” of infections but rather a “newly emerged outbreak.”
That’s sure to help.
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