“When on-site classes resumed on Nov 1, there were no new infections,” Dr Mueanprae, who previously served as patong Hospital Director and as Acting PPHO Chief before current chief Dr Kusak Kukiattikoon arrived, explained in a short video posted online.
“Since school classes resumed, the infections have come from family members. There have been no outbreaks at the schools, which have been enforcing strict measures since the reopening of classes on site,” she said.
Dr Mueanprae noted that infections had been confirmed as “about 11 schools” across the island since Nov 1.
However, she did not identify at which Phuket schools infections had been confirmed, or how many infections had been confirmed at the schools.
“There are intensive COVID-19 measures among students, and ATK [antigen test kit] tests have been randomly conducted in accordance with with the requirements for reopening on-site classes,” Dr Mueanprae said.
“There have also been disease investigations of high-risk contacts, which have been mostly family members,” she added.
“Therefore, students have been found infected with COVID-19 at such schools, but there are not many,” she said.
However, I would like to emphasize that students must strictly follow the DMHTT self-defense measures [against COVID-19],” Dr Mueanprae continued.
“In addition, all public health offices and educational institutions have standard measures to control and prevent the spread of disease in accordance with the steps laid down.
“If an infection is found at a school, measures will be taken to deliver treatment and control the outbreak, along with preventing any recurrence in accordance with [the required] procedures.
“Therefore, parents are asked to be confident, not panic, and emphasise to their children to practice regular self-protection measures to keep them safe from COVID-19,” she said.
Dr Mueanprae’s public announcement follows Darasamuth Phuket School closing this past week, after a cluster of seven students and one home room teacher were found to be infected with COVID-19. The school is reopen on Monday (Nov 22),
The Phuket News was informed by a concerned parent over the weekend of 13 young students at Baan Sapam School in Koh Kaew being taken to “hospitel” quarantine after confirmation of infections there.
The concerned parent provided photos of the students being accompanied by adults onto songtaew buses provided by Koh Kaew Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor) as they were being taken to quarantine.
No officials in Phuket have publicly recognised any infections at that school.