Songkhla residents went to voting locations for local elections with maximum public health security amid a rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in the country.
At Wat Ko Tham in Muang district, people who came to vote had to wear face masks and follow public health measures.
The sudden surge in infections with over 500 cases has increased awareness of preventive measures.
Nipon Bunyamanee, the deputy Minister of Interior, asked the public not to panic.
He expressed his gratitude to the people who came to vote and reassured them that the government could handle the situation.
A woman, 29, who returned from Chiang Mai has tested positive for Covid-19, Dr Peera Areerat, Ayutthaya provincial public health officer, revealed on Sunday.
Bang Pa-in Hospital found the woman infected with the coronavirus virus, although she had no symptoms. She had returned from work at a beauty salon in Chiang Mai province on December 16. The patient travelled in a double-decker bus, sitting on the lower deck. In addition, three people were travelling together, with the female patient wearing a mask all the time.
On December 17, the bus arrived at Ayutthaya at 5am. The woman got off at the Bang Pa-in intersection, Asian road, then took a motorcycle ride back to her house in Bang Pa-in district.
The following morning, at 10.30am, the woman sat on the back of a pickup truck and went to Bang Pa-in Hospital to test for Covid-19.
On December 19, at 8am she went for a walk to the Si Thong Village Market. The same day, the hospital report showed her positive for Covid-19 but without symptoms. She was admitted immediately to the hospital.
Dr Peera urged people who had been to locations the patient had visited to quickly test themselves for the virus. The doctor also urged the public to follow hygiene practices and social distancing
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul said on Sunday that he had called a meeting of the Medical Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) for Covid-19 at the Ministry of Public Health at 11am.
Anutin’s move comes in response to a sharp increase in Covid-19 cases after over 500 people tested positive in Samut Sakhon province on Saturday.
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Sunday reported 576 new cases over a 24-hour period.
Most cases are migrant workers in Samut Sakhon province (516), Thais and foreigners who have come from abroad (41), and domestic cases in Samut Sakhon and Bangkok (19)
Positive cases in quarantine facility include 30 people who had returned from Bahrain, one from Qatar, two from the Netherlands, one from Germany, one from United Arab Emirates, one from Ghana, two from the United Kingdom, one from Switzerland, and two from Myanmar.
Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin, the spokesperson for the CCSA, revealed that 19 domestic cases found in Samut Sakhon and Bangkok included six Thai men, 12 Thai women, and one Burmese man. 42. One of the patients, a 78-year-old woman, is serious as she has difficulty breathing and needs a respirator.
Officials have screened 1,678 people in Talay Thai market and the central shimp market. Of the 1,191 results received, 519 were found positive.
Meanwhile, another 1,453 people including drivers and merchants are waiting to be tested.
Public health authorities aim to test 10,300 people in the market and risk areas linked to migrant workers and customers of the seafood market in Samut Sakhon, including markets and seafood vendors.
Dr Taweesin revealed that health officers and virus experts have discussed and identified the current situation as a new outbreak, not a second wave, as the source of the virus wasn’t the same.
He assured that reserves of PPE kits and medical supplies were enough to deal with the situation.
He sought cooperation from all sectors to keep clean, follow social distancing, and check-in with the Thai Chana Application.
Meanwhile, 17 patients have recovered and been discharged.
The total number of confirmed cases in Thailand increased to 4,907 (1,365 in state quarantine), of whom 806 are in hospital and 4,041 have recovered and been discharged, while 60 have died.
According to Worldometer, as of 10am on Sunday, the total number of confirmed cases increased to 76.62 million (up by 612,802), 53.74 million have recovered, 21.18 million are active cases (106,507 in severe condition) and 1.69 million have died (up by 10,771).
Thailand ranks 151st for most cases in the world, while the US has the most number with 18 million, followed by India 10 million, Brazil 7.21 million, Russia 2.81 million and France 2.46 million.
Bangsaen has cancelled the planned “Countdown 2021” event to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
A Saen Suk Municipality official in Bang Saen, Chon Buri province, announced the cancellation of New Year’s Eve activities at the Laem Thian area where concerts and various activities, including a New Year’s Eve fireworks display, had been planned.
The budget allocated for the celebrations would be transferred to other essential projects, the official said.
Tourists can still travel to the beach or relax at the end of the year as usual, the official said, while asking for cooperation by wearing a mask, washing the hands regularly and strictly following social distancing.
Photos by Charoon Thongnual 
At Wat Ko Tham in Muang district, people who came to vote had to wear face masks and follow public health measures.
The sudden surge in infections with over 500 cases has increased awareness of preventive measures.
Nipon Bunyamanee, the deputy Minister of Interior, asked the public not to panic.
Photos by Korbphuk Phromrekha 
Public health officials have announced a curfew from 10pm to 5am but the vendors had already prepared products before they were notified.
The local vendors did not want to lose fresh products that might get rotten if they did not sell them quickly.
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