11 new local Covid-19 infections today in Phuket
While Covid-19 infections are still relatively low in the Phuket Sandbox, especially compared to the rest of Thailand, today’s 11 infections mark the highest number of local daily infections since the Sandbox began. The Phuket Provincial Public Health Office released the figures today the bring the total number of Covid-19 infections found in the last 7 days to 42.
While any new infections are cause for concern, the weekly totals are still well below half of the threshold set by government officials who declared that more than 90 Covid-19 infections could trigger a reconsideration, revision, or even cancellation of the Phuket Sandbox scheme.
The 11 new infections are the highest number since July 9, when 10 people were diagnosed and July 10, when 9 people tested positive for Covid-19. Yesterday marked an uptick with 8 infections while the 2 days before that each only had 1 new local infection. The new infections were found in Wichit, Patong, Kamala, and Phuket Town.
International travellers arriving in the Phuket Sandbox programme are not included in the total numbers and are tracked separately. After authorities uncovered 3 new international infections yesterday, the total number of Covid-19 cases found in international travellers in the Sandbox scheme is 10. This includes several people who tested negatively upon arriving in Phuket but received positive results indicating they were infected after retesting on their 6th or 7th day as the Sandbox policy dictates.
Since the April beginning of the third wave of Covid-19 in Thailand which was much more widespread and infected exponentially more people than the first 2 waves last year, Phuket has recorded 807 total Coronavirus infections. That figure doesn’t include 6 people who were already infected and brought into Phuket from neighbouring provinces for medical treatment or 3 foreigners outside the Sandbox scheme infected abroad but diagnosed in Phuket.
Of the total infections, only 80 remain in medical facilities receiving care or supervision, while 9 people have died of Covid-19 in Phuket.
SOURCE: The Phuket News
