CHIANG MAI — Officials on Wednesday said they have not found any coronavirus infection among those who had been in close contact with a Malaysian man who tested positive after returning to his hometown from Thailand.
The 46-year-old Malaysian national lived in Bangkok and returned to Kuala Lumpur on August 5, where he was found to contact the virus, according to the Thai Disease Control Department. Health officials said they have traced individuals who had spent time with the man and test them for the coronavirus.
“We found a 36-year-old woman who shared close contact with the man in Bangkok before coming to Chiang Mai,” governor Charoenrit Sanguansat said. “We invited her to take a test and the results were negative. She is currently at a hospital, while her friends have been suggested to take a self-quarantine.”
Thailand has recorded more than 80 days without local transmission, but the latest case has sparked fear of a second wave of infections.
Deputy immigration chief Surapong Chaijan said the man is a frequent visitor to Thailand, which his latest entry was logged on March 6. He suspected that the man might have caught the virus while enroute to Malaysia.
“The man left Thailand on August 5, but the Malaysian authorities diagnosed him with the coronavirus on August 15,” Maj. Gen. Surapong said. “It is currently unknown whether the man caught the virus in Thailand or during his journey.”
Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai, chief of the Disease Control Department, said officials will coordinate with the Malaysian counterparts for more information regarding the patient’s test results and other relevant information.
Officials will also conduct more tests on residents of a condominium where the man stayed in Bangkok, he added.
In today’s briefings, the government’s coronavirus response center said one new coronavirus patient was reported inside state quarantine. The patient was identified as a Thai national returning from India.
The country’s cumulative cases of infection stands at 3,382 as of today.
