Bangkok, Dec 30 (IANS): Thailand's Ministry of Public Health has said that the country has detected a total of 739 cases of the Covid-19 Omicron variant to date, including 488 overseas arrivals and 251 local infections.

Although the majority of new Covid-19 cases reported in Thailand are still those of the Delta variant, more Omicron cases have started popping up, said Supakit Sirilak, Director General of the Medical Sciences Department from the Ministry of Public Health.

According to the official, Omicron infections have already been found in at least 33 provinces, of which 19 are known to have cases from local infections. Many of those locally infected patients are linked to transmission from the Kalasin cluster.

Three provinces -- Bangkok, Kalasin and Phuket -- accounted for more than 60 per cent of these Omicron cases, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Ministry of Public Health urged the people to protect themselves with face masks, social distancing and regular handwashing as these measures were still proven effective in preventing infection by all Covid-19 variants.

Government officials have been told to work from home after the New Year, while schools may consider resuming online classes as part of a precautionary measures to keep the country safe from the rising threat posed by the Omicron variant.