The Phuket office of the Public Relations Department of Thailand (PR Phuket) announced through a post on its official Facebook page this morning that the total number of confirmed cases for the island since the outbreak began remains 224.
According to the PR Phuket post this morning, so far 10,313 people had been classified as at risk of contracting COVID-19, an increase of 97 on the 10,216 reported yesterday.
Of those, 10,089 were found not infected with the virus.
The PR Phuket report also noted 6,278 people had so far been classified as Persons Under Investigation. Of those, 6,203 had been cleared.
PR Phuket this morning also reported that 75 people remained in hospital, comprising 18 people already confirmed as infected, and 57 people still waiting for test results, up four from the 53 reported yesterday.
So far three people in Phuket have died as a direct result of being infected with COVID-19, including an Australian hotel manager from Khao Lak whose family lived in Nai Harn.
“All confirmed COVID-19 cases are receiving hospital treatment,” the Phuket Provincial Health Office, which serves as the Phuket Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Incident Command Center, noted in their report today.
“Due to the spread of COVID-19, the way of life in Thai society has changed to a ‘new normal’,” the PPHO also noted in their report.
“The Phuket Communicable Disease Committee recommends that people live the ‘new normal’ style by staying at home, going outside only when necessary; using separate personal containers, do not share items with others; plan your trip before leaving the house; wearing a face mask, carrying alcohol gel sanitiser, maintaining social distancing of one to two meters; washing your hands regularly, every 30 minutes; using public transport only when necessary; avoiding congested areas; if riding a motorcycle taxi sit sideways [on the motorbike] and [you] must wear a face mask and helmet; carrying a cloth bag; and when [you] get home [you] must wash [your] hands immediately, shower and change clothes,” the PPHO said.
“The elderly and people with chronic illnesses, especially lung disease, should stay at home.
"Any person who experiences any of the following symptoms – coughing, mucus, sore throat, runny nose, loss of sense of smell, shallow or rapid breathing or a fever – must see a doctor immediately to check for COVID-19,” the report added.
Depending on who you believe, Phuket has now not recorded a confirmed new infection for either seven days or for 15 days.
The last officially recognised cases of confirmed infections without any contradicting statements were reported on May 2.
Four new cases reported last Sunday (May 10), including a police officer in Patong, were dismissed by Deputy Public Health Minister Deputy Public Health Minister Sathit Pitutecha on Thursday.
However, Phuket officials have yet to deduct those four cases from the island’s total of confirmed cases, hence it remains at 224.
The four cases have also yet to be deducted from the tally of infections for the country.