Over 22,000 inmates in Thailand have so far been confirmed to be infected with COVID-19, said a government official on Friday.

According to Veerakit Harnpariphan, deputy director-general of the Department of Corrections under the Thai Ministry of Justice, a total of 22,101 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 in 15 prisons located in the capital Bangkok and other areas.

Tanker laden with petroleum product bursts into flames at Otedola Bridge

About 15,445 of the inmates are currently being treated in hospitals and field hospitals, Veerakit said.

Thailand on Friday reported 3,759 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 34 new fatalities, bringing the total tally to 144,976 cases with 954 deaths.

Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) spokeswoman, Apisamai Srirangsan, said of the new infections, 18 were imported and 3,741 were locally transmitted including 1,294 detected in prisons.(Xinhua/NAN)