Phuket received 139,375 ATKs to test quickly for Covid-19
As part of over 800,000 antigen test kits allocated to the South of Thailand, Phuket has received 139,375 ATKs to support the fledgling tourism relaunch on the popular travel destination island. The National Health Security Office reported the delivery to Phuket today from the Zone 11 office based in Surat Thani.
The nearly 140,000 test kits to Phuket was the largest single batch given to any province, and the kits will be distributed quickly using a network of public and private organisations. The tests will be available at the Phuket Provincial Health Office, clinics, pharmacies, and hospital facilities, where personnel are prepared to distribute ATKs to patients in community and home isolation, as well as at-risk target groups.
Patong Hospital and Vachira Phuket Hospital were set as distribution hubs and 27 pharmacists were on board to successfully distribute all the test kits very quickly and efficiently.
Health volunteers and drug store staff around Phuket joined traditional medical personnel at clinics and hospitals as being helpful resources to educate and assists people in how to effectively test themselves using ATKs. The goal is to simplify and expedite Covid-19 testing and infection identification. With these ATKs, people won’t have to go to testing centres when they are at risk and wait to be tested.
The ATK distribution plan launched around the country has seen 477,798 ATKs disbursed already with 233,910 people receiving the kits already. About 45% of those who received the kits have tested themselves with 1,144 test results coming back positive so far.
In Phuket, 69 people have tested positive and were admitted for medical treatment out of 21,092 people who had received ATKs so far.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
