COVID-19 pandemic in Nonthaburi Province

The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached Nonthaburi Province, Thailand on 28 February 2020. As of 28 March 2020, there are 68 confirmed cases, including 1 death.

COVID-19 pandemic in Nonthaburi Province
DiseaseCOVID-19
Virus strainSARS-CoV-2
LocationNonthaburi Province, Thailand
First outbreakWuhan, Hubei, China
Arrival date28 February 2020
(5 months, 2 weeks and 5 days)
Confirmed cases68
Suspected cases‡431
Recovered4
Deaths
1
‡Suspected cases have not been confirmed as being due to this strain by laboratory tests, although some other strains may have been ruled out.

Nonthaburi Province is also the location of the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute, where many COVID-19 patients in Thailand are currently being treated.[1]

Timeline

The first confirmed case in Nonthaburi Province was reported on 28 February. The patient was a 25-year-old male who worked as a tour guide and had recently returned from South Korea.[2] He has since recovered and was discharged on 11 March.[3]

On 12 March, International School Bangkok of Pak Kret District issued a statement notifying that the grandparent of a student had contracted the virus. It was later clarified that the grandparent had never visited the school, though the school temporarily closed for 14 days as a precautionary measure per instructions from the Office of the Private Education Commission.[4] Actor Matthew Deane, who became infected after attending a boxing match at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium on 6 March, was also confirmed to be the father of a student at the school.[5]

Bang Bua Thong 2 Hospital announced that it had transferred all remaining patients to other hospitals and would halt new admissions from 16 March onwards, with the intention to repurpose the hospital as a COVID-19 treatment center in preparation for an anticipated influx of new patients in the coming months. The hospital estimates to accommodate around 30 patients at maximum capacity.[6] Following panic among the local community, the governor of Nonthaburi clarified that only one building would be used as a quarantine area and dismissed previous rumors that COVID-19 patients were already at the hospital.[7]

On 19 March, Nonthaburi Province reported a cumulative total of 9 confirmed cases, including two recoveries.[8] Starting from 21 March, the province saw an spike in confirmed cases, primarily related to the Bangkok-area boxing stadium clusters.[9] On 22 March, 21 new cases were announced, the largest one-day increase thus far.[10]

On 28 March, the first confirmed death in the province was reported in Sai Ma Subdistrict, Mueang Nonthaburi District, in a 68-year-old Muay Thai pundit classified as part of the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium cluster. His body was cremated shortly after his death by relatives to prevent further spread of the virus. Investigations are being carried out on family members and close acquaintances he had come in contact with recently.[11] Doctors later revealed that the individual failed to provide adequate details when he initially sought treatment on 13 March and thus were unaware of his travel history to a high-risk area.[12]

Statistics
COVID-19 cases in Nonthaburi Province  ()
     Deaths        Active cases
Date
# of cases
2020-02-28
​
 1(+1) (n.a.)
⋮
​
 1(=) (=)
2020-03-21
​
 9(+8) (+800%)
2020-03-22
​
 30(+21) (+233%)
2020-03-23
​
 45(+15) (+50%)
2020-03-24
​
 48(+3) (+6.7%)
2020-03-25
​
 52(+4) (+8.3%)
2020-03-26
​
 63(+11) (+21%)
2020-03-27
​
 65(+2) (+3.2%)
2020-03-28
​
​
 68(+3) (+4.6%)
Sources: COVID-19 Situation Report (Department of Disease Control)

Government response

On 19 March, Nonthaburi Governor Suchin Chaichumsak announced a provincial lockdown, citing the high population density of the province as one of his main concerns. All schools, shopping malls and other public places were to be closed from 18 to 31 March, while other venues such as boxing stadiums and cockfighting arenas would remain closed indefinitely until the outbreak has subsided.[13] The lockdown was subsequently extended to 12 April following a surge in confirmed cases on 21 March.[14] Authorities arrested the owner of a restaurant on 22 March for failing to comply with the lockdown measures, in which offenders could face up to one year imprisonment and incur a fine of up to 100,000 baht.[15]

After a new set of positive test results were announced on 23 March, the Nonthaburi Provincial Health Office requested anyone who had been involved in the following activities to self-quarantine at home for 14 days:[16]

On 25 March, the Nonthaburi Civic Center station on the MRT Purple Line was closed for disinfection after a staff member tested positive for the virus.[17]

Immediately after the emergency decree took effect at midnight on 26 March, local authorities set up roadblocks along roads in the Pak Kret and Sai Noi Districts, for the purpose of intercepting commuters exhibiting COVID-19-like symptoms to be isolated and examined at hospitals.[18] Police checkpoints were also established at seven locations to regulate traffic flow in and out of provinces of the Bangkok Metropolitan Region.[19]

See also

References
  1. "ซูมซอกแซก : สถาบัน "บำราศนราดูร" ตำนานโรคระบาดสยาม". Thairath Online (in Thai). 29 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  2. Chirabandhu, Bhuvadej (28 February 2020). "สาธารณสุขแถลงพบผู้ป่วยโควิด-19 รายที่ 41 เป็นไกด์ชาวไทยกลับจากเกาหลีใต้". Sanook News (in Thai). Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  3. "รายงาน COVID-19 ประจำวัน". Open Government Data of Thailand (in Thai). 22 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  4. "ปิดร.ร.นานาชาติ ย่านปากเกร็ด พบเชื้อไวรัส". Thansettakij (in Thai). 13 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  5. "จาก"แมทธิว"โยงถึงโรงเรียนนานาชาติ นนทบุรี". The Nation Weekend (in Thai). 14 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  6. "ปิด รพ.บางบัวทอง 2 เปิดเป็นเขตกักตัวผู้ป่วยโรคโควิด-19". Channel 7 (in Thai). 17 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  7. "ผวจ.นนทบุรี โต้โซเชียลแจงปิดตึก รพ.บางบัวทอง 2 รองรับผู้ป่วยโควิด-19". Thairath Online (in Thai). 17 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  8. "นนทบุรีพบผู้ป่วยโรคโควิด-19 นอนรักษา รพ.อยู่ 7 รายหายกลับบ้านแล้ว 2 คน". Thairath Online (in Thai). 19 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  9. "สธ.ห่วงผู้ป่วยโควิด-19ในตจว.พุ่ง". Krungthep Turakij (in Thai). 22 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  10. "รายงานสถานการณ์โควิด-19". Department of Disease Control. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  11. "นนทบุรี พบผู้ป่วยโควิดเสียชีวิตรายแรก ญาติฌาปนกิจทันที พบมีความใกล้ชิดอดีต ส.จ. เจ้าตัวรอลุ้นผลตรวจ". Matichon Online (in Thai). 28 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  12. "แพทย์เผยเหยื่อ 'โควิด-19' รายล่าสุด บอกข้อมูลไม่ครบ สุดท้ายรักษาไม่ทัน". Matichon Online (in Thai). 29 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  13. "'นนทบุรี' สั่งปิดพื้นที่เสี่ยง 14 วัน ป้องกัน 'โควิด-19'". The Bangkok Insight (in Thai). 20 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  14. ""นนทบุรี" ออกคำสั่ง ปิด 30 สถานที่ หนีไวรัสโควิด". Thansettakij (in Thai). 21 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  15. "นนทบุรี จับแล้วรายแรก "ร้านปาเต๊ะ" เปิดให้บริการลูกค้า ไม่สนโควิด-19". Thairath Online (in Thai). 22 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  16. "สาธารณสุขฯ นนทบุรี แจ้งกลุ่มเสี่ยงติดโควิด-19 ผู้โดยสารรถเมล์-รถตู้-งานบวช-งานสอบ". Sanook News (in Thai). 23 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  17. "MRT ปิดสถานี ศูนย์ราชการนนทบุรี พนักงานป่วยโควิดฯ 1 ราย". Thairath Online (in Thai). 26 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  18. "'นนทบุรี' ตั้งตรวจด่านโควิด-19 ตั้งแต่วินาทีแรกที่บังคับใช้ พ.ร.ก.ฉุกเฉิน". Matichon Online (in Thai). 26 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  19. "ตั้งด่าน 7 จุด พื้นที่โดยรอบกทม.-รอยต่อกทม". Krungthep Turakij (in Thai). 25 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
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