The PPHO report for Dec 4, marked as accurate as of 8pm last night, was posted online at 11:18pm.
The report marked no new infections among any international arrivals from abroad, including Test & Go tourists and Sandbox tourist arrivals.
However, the report marked the first death attributed to COVID-19 for December, bringing the total number of deaths in Phuket attributed to COVID-19 since Apr 3 to 138. After 55 COVID deaths in September, 44 deaths in October, officials marked 18 deaths for November.
UPDATE: The PPHO later posted details of the deaths reported for Dec 4, as follows:
1) Case 17381, male, 83 years old (Group 608*), had suffered a brain injury, was a bedridden patient for 13 years, non-smoker, not vaccinated, tested positive by ATK, was a high risk contact through family
Meanwhile, the 70 new local infections bring the total number of new local infections reported on the island in the past seven days to 648, as follows:
- Nov 28 - 133 new cases
- Nov 29 - 93 new cases
- Nov 30 - 92 new cases
- Dec 1 - 96 new cases
- Dec 2 - 86 new cases
- Dec 3 - 78 new cases
- Dec 4 - 70 new cases
The report marked 13 people infected with COVID-19 in other provinces before entering Phuket, 36 returning from other countries and testing positive, and 42 COVID patients brought back to Phuket under the “Bring Phuket people home” policy since Apr 3.
The report also marked 262 Phuket Sandbox arrivals who have tested positive for the virus after landing on the island since July 1, and 23 Test & Go tourists who have tested positive since Nov 1.
According to the PPHO COVID situation report for Dec 4, 1044 people were under medical care or supervision, 19 more than the 1,025 reported yesterday.
The report also marked 17,095 people in total being discharged from medical care for COVID infection since Apr 3 ‒ 51 more than the 17,044 reported yesterday.
The report recorded four people suspected of being infected with COVID-19 after testing positive by antigen test kits (ATK), but the total number of people reported as currently being held at ‘COVID-19 Care Centers’ across the island decreased by 10, from 123 to 113.
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.
According to the report for Dec 4, there were three ‘Red’ patients (zero change from yesterday), 76 ‘Yellow’ patients (zero change) and 146 ‘Green’ patients (zero change).
A further 389 people who tested positive for COVID-19 were at ‘hospitels’ (zero change), and 113 were designated to recover in “Community Isolation“ (-10), which includes self-quarantining at home.
The report for Dec 4 also marked that of 2,649 hospital beds in total available (zero change), 727 were occupied (-10).
* ‘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.