The PPHO report, marked as accurate as of 11pm last night, reported one new infection among Sandbox tourist arrivals.
The report also marked one new death attributed to COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths in Phuket attributed to COVID-19 since Apr 3 to 49, with 29 of those deaths occurring this month.
UPDATE: The PPHO this afternoon released details of the one death reported today. Of note, it was not the 24-year-old confirmed dead from COVID-19 by Thalang Hospital yesterday.
Instead, the PPHO reported that the death reported today was that of an 86-year-old man who had a history of congenital disease. He had lung cancer and high blood pressure, and had not received any vaccination injections.
Meanwhile, the 242 new local infections bring the total number of new local infections on the island in the past seven days to 1,680, as follows:
- Sept 12 - 245 new cases
- Sept 13 - 249 new cases
- Sept 14 - 229 new cases
- Sept 15 - 244 new cases
- Sept 16 - 236 new cases
- Sept 17 - 235 new cases
- Sept 18 - 242 new cases
The current total of 8,539 people infected in Phuket since Apr 3 does not include 10 infected with COVID-19 in other provinces and 23 returning from other countries and testing positive.
The current Phuket tally also does not include 42 COVID patients brought back to Phuket under the “Bring Phuket people home” policy, or the 96 Phuket Sandbox arrivals who have tested positive for the virus after landing on the island since the Sandbox scheme began on July 1.
According to the PPHO COVID situation report for yesterday, 3,743 people were under medical care or supervision, an increase of 80 from the 3,663 reported the day before.
The report also marked 4,950 people in total being discharged from medical care for COVID infection since Apr 3 ‒ 162 more patients than the 4,788 reported yesterday.
The report recorded five people suspected of being infected with COVID-19 after testing positive by an antigen test kits (ATK), but the total number of people reported as currently being held at ‘COVID-19 Care Centers’ across the island fell by three, from 1,142 to 1139.
The report did not confirm how many people who tested positive by ATKs were confirmed infected by RT-PCR tests or how many people had been released from ATK detention at ‘COVID-19 Care Centers’ and allowed to go home.
The PPHO daily COVID situation report also marked that Phuket currently has in total 2,165 beds available for COVID patients ‒ an increase of three from yesterday.
Meanwhile, the total number of hospital beds actually occupied by COVID patients in Phuket rose to 1,935 (89.38%) ‒ an increase of 11 from the 1,924 reported yesterday.
The number of hospital beds reported as remaining available fell by 11, from 241 to 230, representing 10.62% of the total number of beds designated for COVID patients.
The report marked that of the COVID patients in care 35 were designated as ‘Red patients’ (zero change from yesterday), 347 were designated ‘Yellow’ patients (+6), and 385 were designated as ‘Green’ patients (-4).