The PPHO daily report for Mar 20, marked as accurate as of 8pm last night, was posted online at 12:48am.
The report marked one new infection among Sandbox tourist arrivals and 14 new infections among Test & Go tourists, but no new infections among other international arrivals.
The report marked two new deaths attributed to COVID-19, bringing the total number of COVID deaths reported for March to 43 and the total number of COVID deaths so far this year to 80.
Officials marked 27 COVID deaths in February, compared with 10 COVID deaths in Phuket in January. Previously Phuket officials recorded six COVID deaths in December, 18 in November, 44 in October and 55 COVID deaths in September.
The PPHO later (at 2pm, Mar 21) posted details of the two deaths reported for Mar 20, as follows:
1) Case 34957, male, 74 years old (Group 608*), suffered from high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, diabetes, had received two doses of the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine, risk history “unknown”
2) Case 35019, male, 89 years old (Group 608*), suffered from hypertension, dyslipidemia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, not vaccinated for COVID-19, tested positive by ATK
Meanwhile, the 319 new local infections reported brings the total number of new local infections reported on the island in the past seven days to 2,484, as follows:
- Mar 14 - 405 new cases
- Mar 15 - 384 new cases
- Mar 16 - 371 new cases
- Mar 17 - 357 new cases
- Mar 18 - 335 new cases
- Mar 19 - 313 new cases
- Mar 20 - 319 new cases
The report marked three people infected with COVID-19 in other provinces before entering Phuket since Jan 1, as well as eight returning from other countries and testing positive, and zero COVID patients brought back to Phuket under the “Bring Phuket people home”.
The report also marked 6,196 Phuket Sandbox arrivals who have tested positive for the virus after landing on the island since Jan 1, and 1,985 Test & Go tourists who have tested positive since Jan 1.
According to the report for Mar 20, there are 4,153 people under medical care or supervision, 23 fewer than the 4,176 reported yesterday.
The report also marked 355 people discharged from medical care for COVID infection yesterday ‒ but did not give a total for the number of patients released from medical care since Jan 1.
The report recorded 492 people suspected of being infected with COVID-19 after testing positive by antigen test kit (ATK), while the total number of people reported as currently being held at ‘COVID-19 Care Centers’ across the island increased from 86 to 88.
According to the report for Mar 20, there are 16 ‘Red’ patients (zero change), 248 ‘Yellow’ patients (-2) and 14 ‘Green’ patients (-8) in care.
A further 238 people who tested positive for COVID-19 were at ‘hospitels’ (-26), and 86 were designated to recover in “Community Isolation“ (zero change).
The report also marked that of 2,471 hospital beds in total available (zero change), 602 were occupied (-36).
* ‘Group 608’ has become Phuket officials’ preferred term for higher at-risk patients, comprising people over 60 years old along with those suffering from any of the seven recognised medical conditions that place patients at higher risk of developing serious signs of infection, plus women more than 12 weeks pregnant.