Srisoonthorn Mayor Chalermpol Kerdsup revealed today that officers and staff from the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO) had mass tested 587 people working at the market with antigen test kits (ATKs).
“Among those tested, 36 tested positive, but none of them have any symptoms and all of them are considered ‘Green’ patients,” Mayor Chalermpol said.
All 36 have been taken into quarantine as organised by medical officers at Thalang Hospital, he added.
“The market will be closed for eight days, from today to Aug 31,” Mr Chalermpol confirmed.
During the closure, the market will undergo intensive cleaning and sanitisation, he said.
Fresh markets have proved likely epicentres of clusters of COVID infections in Phuket following a rash of more than 100 infections linked to the Phuket City Municipality Fresh Market 1 on Ranong Rd in Phuket Town, and at the Downtown Market located on the opposite side of the road, sparking a seven-day lockdown of the immediate area in the heart of Phuket Town last week.
The lockdown has been lifted and the two markets have reopened.
However, Phuket City Municipality Fresh Market 2, located on Ong Sim Phai Rd near Robinson department store, has been ordered to remain closed for another full week, after more COVID-19 infections have been found linked to the market.
The market was already serving a seven-day closure order and was initially scheduled to reopen last Saturday (Aug 21).