Phuket Sandbox Covid-19 infections: 35 today, 209 this week

35 new Covid-19 infections pushed rolling 7-day total in Phuket to 209, more than doubling the feared 90 per week that would trigger Sandbox reconsideration according to the original official plans. When the total first passed the 90 infection threshold and surpassed 100, the Department of Disease Control declared that the overall situation was still far from critical and the Sandbox could continue.

None of the 35 infections were from international travellers in the Phuket Sandbox program; they were all locally transmitted. This trend of domestic infections prompted a near-complete shutdown of domestic entry to Phuket, creating a strange circumstance that the only way to get into Phuket is from abroad.

The Phuket Provincial Public Health Office announced the 35 new infections that bring the total official number of Covid-19 infections since the third wave of the pandemic hit Thailand in April to 1,108. Official numbers for some reason exclude several demographics including 30 international Sandbox infections, 18 people in the “Bring Phuket people home” campaign to bring infected natives for treatment, and those infected elsewhere and returning to Phuket, 8 from other provinces and 4 from abroad.

Today’s 35 infections do signify a drop from yesterday’s shocking 50 infections, more than double Thursdays 24 infections. Wednesday saw 38 infections up from 23 and 28 infections on Tuesday and Monday respectively. The week began lower with only 11 Covid-19 infections in Phuket last Sunday.

Deaths had held at 9 for a long time in Phuket but 3 more fatalities occurred over the last week for 12 total, no new loss of life this weekend so far. 307 Covid-19 infected people are either hospitalised or under medical supervision currently with 832 people already discharged from healthcare facilities.

Meanwhile, yesterday a sizeable batch of arrivals to the Phuket Sandbox with 6 international flights delivering 682 people. 681 already received negative test results with one person awaiting results. No new international Sandbox infections were uncovered yesterday after 557 people received their second Covid-19 test on their 6th or 7th day in Phuket and 344 people received their 12th-day third Covid-19 test.

On the 30th day of the Phuket Sandbox reopening, statistics are relatively positive with 13,281 people total arriving. over 10,000 have been there a week and received their second test and about 6500 had their 3rd test after 2 weeks. Only 30 tested positive for Covid-19 total, 7 after their second test and 3 after their third implying they likely contracted it on the island.

SOURCE: The Phuket News