NAKHON SI THAMMARAT: There were 618 new Covid-19 infections, a record high in one day, and eight fatalities in this southern province on Sunday, according to the province's health office.
Of the new infections, 210 were found in Muang district and the rest in 23 other districts. All of the eight fatalities were elderly.
All main and field hospitals in the provinces had now recent capacity. As a result, more patients had been put in home isolation, which might have partly contributed to the surge in Covid-19 cases.
The accumulated number of Covid-19 patients in the province was 23,602. Of them, 16,504 have recovered and 154 have died.
Meanwhile, an official at Maharat Nakhon Si Thammarat Hospital said at least 50 medical staff at the hospital had been infected with Covid-19. The infected included doctors and nurses in the emergency ward and the out-patient department.
Visits to patients have been prohibited. Only one person was allowed to stay to take care of each in-patient in the hospital.
Non-emergency patients have been asked not to enter the hospital premises for treatment during this time, the official said.
Dr Songkiat Lektrakul, the hospital director, was considering closing some hospital areas to contain the contagion.
