The Phuket governor has ordered the entire island sealed off, with travellers from other provinces not allowed to enter Phuket starting from Aug 3.

People from outside the province are prohibited from travelling to Phuket except those transporting essential goods, students, and emergency medical services. Those exempt are still required to be fully vaccinated and show proof at the entry checkpoint.

Meanwhile, Department of Disease Control (DDC) director-general Kajornsak Kaewjaras said the department will monitor Phuket for another two weeks to decide whether to keep the Phuket Sandbox scheme.

Phuket, he said, has done a good job controlling Covid-19 transmissions in the province, as of the 12,395 foreigners visiting the island province, 30 infected people have been identified and quarantined.

The DDC said that a total of 148 cases were reported in Phuket over the past week. All were brought in from other provinces. Some are Phuket residents who worked in other at-risk provinces and returned to the province for medical treatment.

Nevertheless, Dr Kajornsak said that those who are at high risk will be isolated at local quarantine facilities. "Currently, there are nine active infection clusters in Phuket and all infected people from the clusters have now been quarantined," he said.

The healthcare system in Phuket is currently at 36% of its capacity and can still handle new cases, without serious cases that require ventilators, he said.