Asia Today: Sydney outbreak grows; Thailand finds 548 cases

The outbreak in Sydney’s northern beach suburbs has grown to 70 cases with an additional 30 in the last 24 hours, and authorities say they may never be able to trace the source.

While the numbers are rising, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said Sunday there hasn’t been evidence of massive seeding outside the northern beaches community. A new list of cases, however, shows the virus had spread to greater Sydney and other parts of the state.

The government has imposed a lockdown in the area until Wednesday. Residents will only be permitted to leave their homes for five basic reasons, including medical care, exercise, grocery shop, work or for compassionate care reasons.

State Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said that contact tracers are yet to locate patient zero, but an extensive investigation is underway.

Elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region:

— Thailand on Saturday reported more than 500 new coronavirus cases, the highest daily tally in a country that had largely brought the pandemic under control. The 548 new cases, most of them linked to a wholesale seafood market on the outskirts of Bangkok, come after Thailand saw only a small number of infections over the past several months due to strict border and quarantine controls. Health officials say the new cases are mostly migrant workers from Myanmar connected to the outbreak at the shrimp market in Samut Sakhon province. The governor imposed a night curfew and travel restrictions until Jan. 3.