3,000 inmates at two Bangkok prisons test positive

Nearly 3,000 inmates at two prisons in Bangkok have tested positive for COVID-19 as Thailand continues to battle a new coronavirus wave. The Corrections Department on Wednesday said 1,785 of the 3,274 inmates tested positive at Bangkok Special Prison, which holds detainees ahead of trial. At the Central Women's Correctional Institution, 1,040 of the 4,475 inmates were infected.

On Wednesday, Thai health authorities announced 1,983 new coronavirus cases bringing the country's confirmed total to 88,907 since the pandemic began. The new wave accounts for about two-thirds of all confirmed Thai cases and more than three-fourths of the deaths. The surge in cases and deaths has strained the capacity of hospitals to provide beds and ICU facilities, leading to the establishment of temporary field hospitals.