Thailand reports jump in local coronavirus infections linked to shrimp market

BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand has nine new local coronavirus infections, the biggest one-day rise in local transmissions in more than seven months, health officials said on Saturday.

FILE PHOTO: A researcher works inside a laboratory at the National Primate Research Center of Chulalongkorn University during the development of an mRNA type vaccine candidate for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Saraburi province, Thailand, June 22, 2020. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

The nine cases are connected to a shrimp market in Samut Sakhon province, near Bangkok, where four infections were reported on Friday, officials told a briefing.

The cases started with a 67-year-old woman, who sells shrimp in the market, who was confirmed to have the infection before three of her family also tested positive.

There is no need for a lockdown yet but steps will be taken if cases keep rising, Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a spokesman for Thailand’s COVID-19 taskforce, told the conference.

vCard QR Code

vCard.red is a free platform for creating a mobile-friendly digital business cards. You can easily create a vCard and generate a QR code for it, allowing others to scan and save your contact details instantly.

The platform allows you to display contact information, social media links, services, and products all in one shareable link. Optional features include appointment scheduling, WhatsApp-based storefronts, media galleries, and custom design options.

“If the number of cases won’t come down tomorrow or the day after and become a cluster with unfound origins, we will choose measures from light to strong to handle it,” he said.

Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said late on Friday the situation was not worrisome and more than 2,000 people in the area had been tested and more tests would be conducted.

Local cases have largely been found in people observing quarantine after having been in close contact with an infected person. Most of Thailand’s recent cases have been imported.

Thailand has kept infections at just 4,331 cases and 60 deaths, but its tourism-reliant economy has suffered from a travel ban imposed since April to curb the outbreak.

The country on Thursday further eased restrictions to allow more foreign tourists to return.

The government predicts about 8 million foreign tourists in 2021 after 6.7 million expected this year. Last year’s foreign visitors were a record of nearly 40 million..

Reporting by Orathai Sriring, Panarat Thepgumpanat and Satawasin Staporncharnchai; Editing by Michael Perry

source: reuters.com


🕐 Top News in the Last Hour By Importance Score

# Title 📊 i-Score
1 Kashmir attack sparks fear of fresh conflict between India and Pakistan 🟢 85 / 100
2 Dire wolf 'de-extinction' criticised by conservation group 🔴 75 / 100
3 EU Parliament committee votes to lift far-right German MEP's immunity 🔴 75 / 100
4 Harvey Weinstein's rape retrial begins in New York 🔴 75 / 100
5 'Peaches' and 'Baby Doe,' bodies found near Gilgo Beach, ID'd as mother and 2-year-old daughter 🔴 72 / 100
6 Psychiatrist who criticized child gender therapy receives over $1M after university firing 🔴 72 / 100
7 Mystery as major US city is hit by public health emergency with toxic chemicals filling the air 🔴 65 / 100
8 Worries about flying seem to be taking off. Here's how to cope with in-flight anxiety 🔴 65 / 100
9 Who Is Karen Read? Learn About Her & John O’Keefe Trial 🔴 65 / 100
10 Archaeology breakthrough as lost capital city of forgotten ancient kingdom 'discovered' 🔵 55 / 100

View More Top News ➡️