Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health said on Wednesday that two women have tested positive for coronavirus antibodies even though both women had gone through the state quarantine process.
Thailand has not seen a coronavirus case outside of state quarantine in almost three months with the country easing lockdown measures continuously. Domestic travel, shopping malls and public beaches have opened.
The two women, both of whom returned to Thailand in June from the United Arab Emirates and went through two weeks of state quarantine, had been tested for the virus with one testing negative and one showing traces of the virus but was asymptomatic.
Both went through the public health system and were released to their home provinces, Loei and Chaiyaphum, respectively.
Both had come to Bangkok in the past week to get health certificates to travel abroad with both showing indicators of coronavirus antibodies.
The Ministry of Public Health said that the chances of local transmission was low and that contact tracing was under and local authorities are already investigating friends and families of the two women to minimize all risks.
The ministry said it was unlikely that the antibodies could have developed from a local infection.
”We have done wide spread testing in local communities throughout the country, in Rayong, at the borders and all tests have come up negative. If there was a second wave of infections we would have seen it,” said Dr Suwanchai Wattana Yingcharoenchai
“However we must be cautious and that is why we are investigating and doing contact tracing and doing more tests on the patients themselves.”
Government Spokesman Dr Thaweesin Visanuyothin told reporters that even if the chances are low, the country must be extra cautious as countries abroad have seen infections even though they had no local transmissions.
“For the protesters out there, there is a freedom to assemble but one must also take extra precautions at these protests to limit the possible spread of the virus,” he said.
