Passengers use hand sanitiser amid concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus at a BTS Skytrain station in Bangkok on March 20, 2020. (Photo: AFP)

Bangkok (People's Daily) - Thailand today confirmed 50 new cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus, bringing the total to 322 since the virus first arrived in the kingdom in January.

Suwannachai Watthaningcharoenchai, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, made the announcement at today’s press briefing by the Ministry of Public Health. 278 patients remain hospitalized, 43 have returned home, and one died from complications related to the disease. Most of the new cases are related to previously confirmed cluster cases.

Thailand's public health ministry reported only 55 people had been traced in the boxing ring with confirmed cases, but more than 500 were expected to be infected as thousands of people were present.

(Compiled by Zhu Yurou)