The new order was issued by Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew yesterday (July 29) and publicly posted by the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department (PR Phuket) yesterday evening.
The latest order issued yesterday expands on the venues to be closed and other restrictions as ordered on Tuesday, which saw all schools on the island ordered closed until Aug 16.
Under the order issued yesterday the listed venues are to be closed for 18 days, from today (July 30) to Aug 16.
Snooker and billiards halls, and other venues with pool tables, as well as internet and game cafés are ordered to close.
Boxing training schools and all other martial art schools, as well as swimming pools under management of private companies or local officials are to close.
Sports stadiums, outdoor venues for exercise, public parks and other areas for activities are to close at 9pm. Any sport that requires players to have close contact is prohibited. Gathering as audiences or spectators are also prohibited.
Fitness centers, gyms and other indoor venues for exercise must close at 9pm and when open must limit the number of people at the venue.
Meanwhile, a separate order banning the movement of any migrant workers living in camps on the island into or out of Phuket by air, land or sea is banned immediately.
The order is in effect from today until Aug 12.
When traveling on the island, working and staying at camps, workers must strictly follow the D-M-H-T-T-A* measures, the order noted.
Any workers camps or worksite in risk areas will have staff from Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO) together with relevant officials will go to conduct proactive case screening by RT-PCR testing or using antigen test kit (ATK), the order added.
If any worker tests positive for COVID-19, the camp must be isolated and under ‘Bubble and Seal’ measures and have a camp manager to control the situation and update officials, the order said.
The order to ramp up COVID-prevention measures specifically at migrant worker camps on the island follows 13 workers at a camp in Patong testing positive, prompting officials to place the camp under one-month ‘Bubble and Seal’ isolation.
* The Thai Ministry of Public Health defines its D-M-H-T-T-A COVID-prevention measures as:
D : Distancing
M : Mask wearing
H : Hand washing
T : Temperature
T : Testing
A : Application (MorChana)