The news came via a table released by the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department (PR Phuket) this morning (Mar 21).
The total number of people in Phuket to have been found infected with the virus as of yesterday was five, after Phuket Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana was forced to publicly admit the infection of a family of three Danish tourists on holiday in Phuket. (See story here.)
The Danish family remain in hospital receiving treatment.
The other two, Governor Phkaphong explained, were Chinese tourists from “ground zero” Wuhan, where the outbreak began in December.
According to the table released this morning, health officials have checked 1,210,945 people at the airport and a further 38,327 checked at “other ports”.
So far 565 people have been put under observation for possible infection of the virus, said the table. Of these were nine “new cases”.
Of the 565, 543 “Persons Under Investigation” (PUI) had been checked and gone home. The remaining 22 remain in hospital under observation.
Of those 22 still in hospital, 17 are waiting for test results to confirm whether they have COVID-19.
No other details have been provided.
The table released is marked as correct as of 7pm yesterday (Mar 20).
The table was released directly to reporters late this morning. It has yet to be posted publicly on the PR Phuket official Facebook page. (Click here.)
In other developments regarding COIVD-19 in Phuket, Phuket Governor Phakaphong yesterday declared that fitness centres are to be closed under the current shut down across the island to prevent the spread of the virus, despite a national order issued on Thursday announcing that fitness centres are not to be ordered to close, providing they follow specific health guidelines.