Weekly Phuket Covid-19 Update: Deaths and infections slowing

Over the past week in Phuket, Covid-19 daily infections have been slowly decreasing with 165 new infections today and no new deaths. But Sandbox infections have been creeping up with 20 new infections found in international travellers over the past week.

Daily infections peaked September 21 with 254 new cases that day, and by the end of September, finally fell back below 200 per day, with today having 35% fewer infections at 165.

While the number of people in hospital care has fallen slightly, those in Covid Care Centres has risen. The total released Covid-19 patients in Phuket surpassed 8,000 this week though. After a surge in total hospital beds last week, the near crisis of available beds, which got as low as 230 beds on September 18, 90% occupancy, has now subsided with occupancy rates falling to around 65% with nearly 2300 beds available.

Th Covid-19 death toll in Phuket had stood at 20 at the beginning of September, and reached 75 by the end of the month, with 55 new deaths in a single month. The first week of October brought 8 new deaths, an average of 1 death per day, down from last week. But since the beginning of September, the total Covid-19 deaths in Phuket have quadrupled.

Breakdowns of Phuket data from the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office report late last night, all collected since the start of the third wave of Covid-19 on April 3, are included below by the numbers.

TOTALS

ANTIGEN TEST KITS

Today 46 people tested positive in Phuket for Covid-19 using an antigen test kit.

People test with ATKs when they are at risk, but the results are not considered 100% conclusive. If someone tests positive, they will undergo an RT-PCR test to confirm the result. The case will only be added to the official numbers after that RT-PCR test is returned positive. Those in Phuket with a positive result from an ATK are moved to a Covid-19 Care Centre for safety as they await the results of an RT-PCR test.

HOSPITALS & SUPERVISION

ADDITIONAL COVID-19 INFECTIONS IN PHUKET

The official totals announced each day do not include several demographics:

• 135: Phuket Sandbox travellers who tested positive for Covid-19 sometime after landing in Phuket, up 2 from yesterday
• 42: Phuket natives infected in other provinces but moved for treatment under the “Bring Phuket People Home” programme, unchanged from yesterday
• 28: Travellers returning home from other countries and found to be infected, unchanged from yesterday
• 10: people in Phuket who were infected in other provinces, unchanged from yesterday

DAILY CASES THIS MONTH

SOURCE: The Phuket New