BANGKOK, July 6 — The highly contagious Delta variant first identified in India is now gaining ground in Thailand.
Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) spokesman Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin said the Delta variant is becoming dominant in Bangkok as well as other provinces in the kingdom.
Based on Public Health Ministry’s data between June 28 to July 2, the Delta variant accounted for 52 per cent of new infections in Bangkok while 47.8 per cent were Alpha variant first identified in the United Kingdom and 0.2 per cent were Beta variant that was first detected in South Africa.
He added that data showed the Delta variant only accounted 32.4 per cent during the June 21 to 27 period.
For other provinces outside Bangkok, Taweesin said the Delta variant has increased from 7.3 per cent of new infections (June 21 to 27) to 18 per cent (June 28 to July 2).
“The Delta variant cases are also on the rise in other provinces while the Alpha and Beta variant are gradually decreasing,” he said at Covid-19 daily briefing here today.
Since April 1, the beginning of the third wave of Covid-19 outbreak in Thailand, to July 2 Thailand has recorded 9,209 Covid-19 cases of Alpha variant (81.98 per cent), 1,838 cases of Delta variant (16.36 per cent) and 186 cases of Beta variant (1.66 per cent).
Meanwhile, Thailand recorded 5,420 new Covid-19 cases 57 deaths, over the last 24 hours, bringing the total infections in the kingdom to 294,653 and 2,333 fatalities.
Of the new cases, Taweesin said 5,412 were local transmission and eight imported cases including three Thai nationals returning home from Malaysia.
“Over the last 24 hours, Bangkok topped the list with the highest number of Covid-19 cases at 1,492 and 33 fatalities,” he said.
— Bernama
