PHUKET: Three new Covid-19 cases were reported in Phuket on Thursday morning, all had close contact with previous patients, raising the provincial tally to 217.
The three, all men, lived in Bangtao area of Thalang district, an area of high infections.
The 215th case is a 53-year-old hotel driver who was in close contact with previously confirmed Covid-19 cases. He showed no symptoms and was detected during active testing, the provincial emergency response panel reported.
The 216th case is a 19-year-old student at a religious school in Bangtao area. He had been in close contact with a previously confirmed case, who was patient No 215. He also showed no symptoms of Covid-19.
The 217th is a 31-year-old teacher at a religious school in Bangtao. He had also been in close contact with patient No 215.
From Jan 5 to April 29 there were a total of 217 confirmed coronavirus infections on this island province, the panel said.
Of the 217 cases, 176 had recovered and been discharged, and one died of injuries from a motorcycle accident. There were two deaths from the coronavirus.
A total of 38 people were still under treatment, two of them in a serious condition, the panel said.
Phuket authorities have set midnight as the deadline to collect its daily Covid-19 data so the numbers may or may not be included in the central database of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration in time for its daily national briefing in the morning.
On Wednesday, the provincial panel met to consider measures to ease lockdown restrictions in Phuket.
Phuket governor Pakkapong Taweepat said on Thursday that about 14,000 people had already registered with authorities to return to their home provinces. Registrations would remain open today, the governor said.
Phuket authorities would send lists of registrants to their provinces for monitoring. Once back in their home provinces they would have to enter self-quarantine for 14 days, the governor said.
Phuket governor Pakkapong Taweepat chairs a meeting of the provincial emergency response panel to discuss easing lockdown restrictions. As of Wednesday night, about 14,000 people had registerd to return to their home provinces, where they will have to enter self-quarantine. Registrations continued on Thursday. (Photo: Achadtaya Chuenniran)