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 The man, 37, had worked as a nightclub DJ at three different venues
in the capital Bangkok in the two weeks before he tested positive on
arrival in prison, following his recent conviction for a
drugs-related offence.
Individuals deemed at risk across 12 venues including the court
where he appeared, nightclubs and supermarkets were tracked down and
569 tests were administered, the Public Health Ministry said.
So far, all tests have come back negative and 32 individuals were
awaiting results. Authorities have asked 400 other individuals
considered low-risk to self-quarantine for 14 days.
How the man became infected remains a mystery, with all of
Thailand's recent cases, typically less than a handful each day,
detected in state quarantine among people returning from abroad.
Thailand has reported a total of 3,447 confirmed infections, 58
fatalities and has relaxed internal restrictions. That toll is one
of the region's lowest, with Indonesia and the Philippines the
highest with more than 200,000 cases each.
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Natural border crossings and check points with neighbouring countries like
Myanmar and Laos have been tightened to prevent illegal entry, Thai Interior
Ministry Permanent Secretary Chatchai Promlert said.
Myanmar last week sealed up its capital city after seeing cases more than double
in just a few weeks.
The re-emergence of the virus in Thailand was another blow to its economy,
delaying a plan from Oct. 1 to start allowing the return of foreign tourists,
initially on the island-resort of Phuket, with mandatory quarantine and limits
on movement.
Southeast Asia's second-largest economy suffered its biggest shrinkage in more
than two decades in the second quarter as the coronavirus outbreak froze tourism
and slowed consumption.
(Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat and Chayut Setboonsarng; Editing by Martin
Petty)
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