The two are among 79 people considered as high risk of contracting the virus following the Indian man travelling to Phi Phi Island before coming to Phuket, from where he and the Thai friend boarded a Thai AirAsia flight to Chiang Mai.
The “investigation team” of health officials tasked with the ‘track and trace’ of the Indian man’s movements found both the Thai and the American friends in Patong yesterday (Nov 8), Dr Thani told The Phuket News.
However, he declined to identify the two by name, age or even gender, and declined to identify where the two were found.
“They have both been tested for COVID-19, but we are still waiting for the test results,” Dr Thanit said.
The two have now been removed from contact with the general population, Dr Thanit added.
The two were now “in quarantine” he said, but declined to explain whether they were in care at a hospital, at a state or alternative state quarantine venue or ordered to stay home.
Dr Thanit also did not explain how long the two would remain in quarantine.
Dr Thanit assured that health officials were working hard and tracking down all people believed to be at risk of contracting the virus after coming into close contact with the Indian man.
However, Dr Thanit repeatedly urged people to seek information released by the Department of Disease Control (DDC) and the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), both of which are headquartered in Bangkok.
Of note, since the COVID crisis began in Thailand, standard practice has been for local officials to be left without the authority to comment fully on cases in their own areas. Instead, the release of information has been centralised through health officials in Bangkok.
Regardless, Dr Thanit told The Phuket News, “Please be patient. More details will be available tonight.”
Meanwhile, no updates have been released as to how the 38-year-old man from the Netherlands came to be found infected in Phuket, as reported by the CCSA on Saturday.