BANGKOK (THAILAND) – Thailand is in a hurry with tracing contacts after its first domestic coronavirus infection in over three months appeared again, said health officials on Friday. Tests were conducted on nearly 200 people who showed signs of a possible exposure to the new case.
A prisoner had tested positive for the coronavirus during a mandatory test for new inmates.
Sopon Iamsirithaworn, director of Bureau of General Communicable Diseases, told, “We traced his movement back two weeks before he had symptoms on Aug. 29.”
The man, aged 37, had worked as a nightclub DJ at three different venues before getting arrested for a drugs-related offence, officials said.
Sopon said, 194 people were considered at risk, which included family members, inmates and people at the court where he had appeared and have tested negative. Authorities were using a government smartphone application to trace those who had checked-in at those venues.
Thailand has reported comparatively low 3,431 cases and 58 COVID-19 deaths overall, and 96 patients were currently undergoing treatment in hospital.
Senior health official, Ritdej Chareonchai, said, “If you suspect that you’ve come into contact with this DJ, you can come in for free tests.”