According to a report by the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department (PR Phuket), Vice Governor Pichet this morning announced, “After hearing the news of the woman, the investigation team of the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office launched a search and found the woman on Dec 2, and took her to Vachira Phuket Hospital on Dec 3.
“The woman was a Myanmar worker who illegally entered Thailand three months ago. She also worked at a local market in Phuket,” he said, confirming an initial report by officials from the Phang Nga Provincial Public Health Office.
“Health officials checked her temperature and tested the Myanmar woman at Vachira Phuket Hospital, and the result shows that she has not been infected by COVID-19,” V/Gov Phichet said.
“Next she will remain in quarantine at a government hospital for 14 days, according to Department of Disease Control requirements,” he said.
The announcement was made in order to calm fears on the island that the woman is infected with the virus, V/Gov Pichet explained.
“I share this statement to help relieve people’s fears in Phuket and please do not panic,” V/Gov Pichet said.
“At this time, Phuket Province has set measures to find any immigrants from neighboring countries who illegally pass a disease-scanning process so that we can prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“The Phuket Labor Office is working with the relevant officials, and has been ordered to strictly follow up and take care of foreign workers working in Phuket,” he added.
V/Gov Phichet urged members of the public to report any “suspicious” migrant workers immediately.
“Please call the Phuket Damrongdharma Center [Provincial Ombudsman’s Office] hotline 1567 to report any suspected migrant workers for further action,” V/Gov Pichet said.
However, V/Gov Pichet gave no explanation of why the woman was in Phang Nga when she was first found, despite apparent confirmation that she was living in Phuket and working at a local market here.
He also gave no description of where the woman was staying before officials found her, or where officials found her.
He also did not entertain the idea that the woman was still returning home from a more recent trip to Myanmar.
V/Gov Pichet also made no mention about any legal action being taken for an employer hiring an illegal migrant worker.