The Phuket office of the Public Relations Department of Thailand (PR Phuket) announced through a post on its official Facebook page early this morning that the total number of confirmed cases for the island remains 224.
The Phuket Provincial Health Office, which serves as the Phuket Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Incident Command Center, confirmed that the island’s total number of confirmed cases of infections remains at 224 with its own post just before 11:30am.
The Department of Disease Control under the Ministry of Public Health confirmed just after 12:30pm today that the cases dismissed by Deputy Health Minister Sathit yesterday have not been deducted from the current national tally for the country.
Meanwhile, Patong Police Chief Col Aganit Danpitaksat confirmed to The Phuket News that the 24 officers who worked closely with one of the four reported as infected on Sunday now have been allowed to return home.
The 24 officers were placed under quarantine at the Sleep With Me Hotel as soon as Col Aganit was informed that one of his officers had been confirmed as infected.
“All 24 officers are expected to leave [quarantine] today, but they must quarantine themselves at home for another 14 days as a precaution,” Col Aganit said.
The 24 officers have been tested for the virus twice, he added.
“Both times they all tested negative,” he said.
According to the PR Phuket post this morning, so far 10,143 people had been classified as at risk of contracting COVID-19, an increase of 116 on the 10,027 reported yesterday.
Of those, 9,919 were found not infected with the virus.
The PR Phuket report also noted 6,108 people had so far been classified as Persons Under Investigation. Of those, 6,039 had been cleared.
PR Phuket this morning also reported that 69 people remained in hospital, comprising 24 people already confirmed as infected, and 45 people still waiting for test results, a decrease of 23 from the 68 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 PPHO noted in their report today.
In its report, the PPHO warned against complacency of contracting the virus.
“Although the number of new COVID-19 cases has fallen and some days there are no new cases reported at all, we cannot rely on that because of the incubation period and that a person infected with the disease may not be exhibiting any symptoms. If everyone is not careful, there may be a second wave [of infections],” the PPHO said.
“The PPHO needs everyone to continue to act in the new normal style [sic] with discipline and consistency. Try to stay home, eat hot food, and use personal items [not share them]. Maintain at least one metre of space from people, wear a face mask and yourwash hands frequently,” it added.
“In addition, relaxation [of restrictions] in public activities such as exercise has been around for a while, but we have found that some people still do not comply with the specified measures,” the PPHO warned.
The PPHO also warned people to be wary of spitting while talking.
“We would like to emphasize to the people who use [business] services that they strictly must wear a mask, wash their hands frequently with soap or sanitising gel. They should speak in a normal tone and reduce the use of loud noises, maintain space from other people, refrain from eating in public areas except drinking water, do not spit saliva or phlegm and avoid unnecessarily any person’s face or other things around us,” the PPHO said.
"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 PPHO urged.