The news was confirmed by two reports posted online by the Phuket Info Center, operated by the Phuket office of the Ministry of Interior, at 8pm and 8:04pm last night (Jan 1).
Both reports were marked as issued from information provided by the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO) and both were marked as accurate as of Jan 1.
The reports updated the number of Omicron infections on the island since the initial reports issued on Wednesday night, bringing to 125 the total number of confirmed Omicron infections on the island since Dec 13.
The 11 Thai women confirmed as infected initially tested positive for COVID-19 last Tuesday (Dec 28). The women were Identified by proactive screening conducted by staff from Patong Hospital using antigen test kits (ATKs), said the reports.
Entertainment venues on Bangla Rd, currently operating as “restaurants” in order to serve alcohol, must have their staff undergo random ATK tests every seven days as a condition of reopening, Dr Witita Jang-iam, Deputy Director of Vachira Phuket Hospital, the main government hospital on the island, explained following a spate of infections in the nightlife area late November.
All staff must be “100% vaccinated”, she said.
Any venue found linked to three connected infections must close for three days and undergo intensive cleaning and disinfecting, Dr Witita added.
The reports posted online last night also confirmed 10 international arrivals testing positive for Omicron.
The international arrivals, entering Phuket as Test & Go tourists, were all identified as COVID-positive by staff from Vachira Phuket Hospital on Day 0 of their stay.
The tourists had arrived from France, Lithuania, Mongolia, Sweden, the UK and Portugal, the reports added.
No further information was reported.