Thailand’s government confirmed on Saturday that it had discovered 45 new coronavirus infections bringing the total number of infected to 2,518.
There were 2 new fatalities bringing the death toll to 40.
122 more patients have recovered from the virus bringing the total number of discharged patients to 1135.
“We are still discovering new coronavirus cases from those returning from abroad in State Quarantine,” said government spokesman Dr Thaweesin Visanuyothin. “Even though we check them before they board the plane, when they arrive and before they enter quarantine, we are still discovering cases.”
Songkran
The government has asked its citizens to forego or find alternatives to Thailand’s traditional Songkran new year celebrations which usually involve the close gathering of family groups and various ceremonies.
The government has canceled the holiday, which was due to run from Monday, April 13 to Wednesday, April 15 and said that the holiday would be held at a later date in the year.
Both Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha and Dr Thaweesin advocated for virtual gatherings instead of physical ones to maintain social isolation.
Global death toll
On Friday, the global death toll surpassed 100,000 according to Johns Hopkins University. The largest site of infection continues to be the United States with 502,876 cases followed by Spain with 158,273 cases and Italy with 147,577 cases.
China this past week have re-opened the city of Wuhan, ground zero of the coronavirus outbreak. With travel restrictions lifted, experts worry that the virus may come back in China.
