Seven hajj pilgrims tested positive for the omicron variant of Covid-19 after returning from Saudi Arabia and were admitted to the hospital.
Preeda Chueaphudee, advisor to the country's Muslim spiritual leader Chularatchamontri, said the omicron cases were among the 31 Thai pilgrims who had left for Saudi Arabia on Dec. 1 for a 15-day pilgrimage.
They then developed a fever and possibly contracted the disease during the activity that gathered hundreds of thousands of pilgrims worldwide, he said.
They returned at Suvarnabhumi International Airport on Dec. 15 and 14 of them tested positive for Covid-19. All the infected had received three shots of Covid-19 vaccines.
In addition, there were six high-risk people who were in close contact with the infected pilgrims, Preeda said.
Supakit Sirilak, director-general of the Department of Medical Sciences, said that officials continued to conduct proactive tests to identify omicron cases.