Thailand Goes Crazy Again, COVID-19 Case Reaches New Record Donated By Prison Cluster

JAKARTA - Thailand on Monday, May 17, recorded a record daily COVID-19 cases of 9,635 including 6,853 cases in the prison cluster, as the Southeast Asian country battles the third wave of infections.

That number increased the total number of COVID-19 cases to 111,082 cases.

Thailand's COVID-19 task force also recorded 25 new deaths bringing the total to 614 deaths since last year's pandemic.

Outside the prison cluster, 2,782 new cases as of Monday were close to the record 2,839 cases reported at the end of April.

Thailand has issued 2.2 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to frontline health workers and high-risk groups using vaccines made by China's Sinovac Biotech and AstraZeneca.

Broader vaccination efforts are expected to begin in June with a locally produced dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Vaccination registration for the public opened this week, with a target of 70 percent of adults out of Thailand's more than 60 million residents already vaccinated. Antara reported from Reuters on Monday, May 17.