Phuket Town Fresh Market closed for 1 week for Covid-19

Following an outbreak of Covid-19 infections, officials have closed down the Phuket Town Fresh Market 1 and surrounding area for 1 week as well as the Downtown Plaza market for 11 days until August 22. The decision to close the markets stems from a cluster last Wednesday where 27 Covid-19 infections were uncovered at the market, which pushed Phuket to a record 65 Coronavirus infections that day.

The order from Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew is in effect from today until August 17, barring all people from entering or exiting the area, except for emergency medical staff and vehicles, food and gas deliveries.

The decision to restrict the area around the Phuket Town Fresh Market 1 and the Downtown Plaza was initially made by the Phuket Communicable Disease Committee on Monday to try to contain a rash of Covid-19 infections and passed to the governor to enact the provincial order Tuesday.

12 checkpoints, manned by officials from the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command, Phuket City Police, and Phuket City Municipality, will be set up around the contained area which spans Ranong Road, Soi Phuthorn, and Bangkok Road. RT-PCR tests and antigen test kits will also be dispatched to the area for the Phuket Public Health Office and Phuket City Municipality to test local residents there.

The municipality will use the lockdown time to thoroughly sanitise the whole market and will deliver supplies and food for people quarantined in the area. Previous restrictions about 2 weeks ago closed Central Festival and asked for markets to enforce social distancing at other markets to allow only one person for every 4 square meters.

SOURCE: The Phuket News