Thailand marks 100 days zero local transmission

Thailand has reported zero local transmission of COVID-19 for 100 consecutive days.

Thailand, the first country outside China to report COVID-19 cases in January this year, has reported 3,425 cases and 58 fatalities with only 93 patients warded in hospitals thus far.

Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan o-cha said cooperation from the people has helped to successfully curb the spread of COVID-19 in the kingdom and "keep the country safe".

"I hope the people continue to cooperate to prevent a second wave of COVID-19... If it recurs, the people may suffer again," he told a press conference after chairing an Economic Situation Administration meeting on COVID-19 pandemic at the government house here today.

Prayuth reiterated that the government has yet to allow foreign tourists to enter the kingdom.

Thailand's success in combating COVID-19 was attributed to the closure of its entry points since April 3, where only Thai nationals are allowed to return home along with diplomats and work permit holders.

Since July 1, Thailand agreed to allow selected foreigners including medical tourists and migrant workers from neighbouring countries in the infrastructure sector and food industry to enter the kingdom.

The ban on foreign tourists has hit the tourism industry hard. Thailand is expected to receive only 8 million foreign tourists this year compared to 39.8 million tourists in 2019.

Meanwhile, Department of Disease Control deputy director-general Tanarak Pipat said Thailand has tightened its enforcement at 10 provinces along Thailand-Myanmar borders over fears of a second wave of COVID-19 following a spike of new cases in Myanmar.

"We must stop recruiting illegal migrant workers to prevent the spread of another wave of COVID-19," he said.

Over the last 24 hours, Thailand has recorded eight new COVID-19 cases including four members of an American family aged between 12 and 49.

The other four new patients are two Thai women and two Thai men who returned from abroad.

-- BERNAMA