Thailand has reported 14 new COVID-19 cases, including 12 Thais who returned from Sudan, bringing the tally to 3,216 cases with 58 fatalities.

Today marked the 47th consecutive day without local transmission in the kingdom, with zero deaths over the last 24 hours.

In a statement today, the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) said the 12 Thais who returned from Sudan on Friday comprised 11 students aged between 19 and 31 and a nine-year-old girl.

The other two new patients are a 31-year-old Thai who returned from the United States and a 42-year-old Thai from Bahrain.

Out of the 3,216 positive cases, 3,088 have recovered and been discharged from hospitals while another 70 remain warded.

“From April 3 to yesterday, 55,702 Thais returned from abroad, with 279 testing positive for COVID-19,” CCSA said.

Meanwhile, Thailand will set up a centre to help revive the kingdom’s economy, which has been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Deputy secretary-general to the Prime Minister‘s Office, Kobsak Pootrakool, said the centre would work like the health-focused CCSA but would be addressing economic issues.

Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan o-cha would chair the new economic rehabilitation centre, he said.

Kobsak said the government plans to establish a 50 billion baht (100 baht is RM13.63) fund to aid SMEs affected by the pandemic.

Bank of Thailand has lowered its 2020 gross domestic product forecast to a contraction of 8.1 per cent.

-- BERNAMA