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BANGKOK: Thailand reported nine new local COVID-19 infections, the largest one-day increase in local transmissions in more than seven months, health officials said on Saturday (December 19).
The nine cases are related to a shrimp market in Samut Sakhon province, near Bangkok, where four infections were reported on Friday, authorities said in a briefing.
The cases began with a 67-year-old woman, who sells shrimp in the market, who was confirmed to have the infection before three members of her family also tested positive.
READ: Thailand reports local COVID-19 infections as measures begin to restart tourism
There is no need for a lockdown yet, but action will be taken if cases continue to rise, Taweesin Wisanuyothin, spokesperson for Thailand’s COVID-19 task force, told the conference.
“If the number of cases is not reduced tomorrow or the day after and it becomes a group with unknown origins, we will choose measures from mild to strong to handle it,” he said.
Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said late on Friday that the situation was not worrisome and that more than 2,000 people in the area had been tested and more tests would be carried out.
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Local cases have been found mainly in people who observed quarantine after having been in close contact with an infected person. Most of the recent cases from Thailand have been imported.
Thailand has maintained infections at 4,331 cases and 60 deaths, but its tourism-dependent economy has been hit by a travel ban imposed since April to curb the outbreak.
On Thursday, the country further lowered restrictions to allow more foreign tourists to return.
The government predicts around 8 million foreign tourists in 2021 after the 6.7 million forecast for this year. Last year’s foreign visitors were a record nearly 40 million.
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