50,000 set to leave Phuket

50,000 set to leave Phuket

PHUKET: Officials continue to thoroughly screen individuals who have registered to leave the resort island as an estimated 50,000 people are expected to leave for other provinces after it ended lockdown restrictions on April 30.

Governor Pakkapong Thawipat said on Monday that about 10,000 people have left the province since the lockdown ended.

Phuket is seen as one of the most active Covid-19 hotspots in the South, having recorded 220 infections and two deaths from the novel coronavirus disease so far.

Individuals who wish to leave the province are required to register with authorities, both online and offline. After completing the online registration process, individuals will be required to present a fit-to-travel health certificate and have their temperatures checked at Tha Chat Chai checkpoint. Only those who have satisfied all official requirements will be allowed to leave.

They will still be required to wear face masks, observe social distancing and other health and safety guidelines, the governor added.

Meanwhile, Phuket's communicable diseases committee on Monday announced that no new Covid-19 cases were reported in the southern province.

Out of all the confirmed cases reported in the province, 178 patients have recovered, while two have died. Meanwhile, 39 patients are still in hospitals, with one in serious condition. One of the infected patients died from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.

Phuket is second only to Bangkok in terms of the number of infections, prompting the province to step up testing to find new cases among high-risk groups, especially in areas deemed highly prone to infectious diseases.

Local officials reported that on Monday, 1,941 people left Phuket by road for other provinces.

The majority were headed to Nakhon Si Thammarat (370), Trang (167), Phangnga (143), Phatthalung (117), Songkhla (107), Krabi (100), Surat Thani (78), Bangkok (76), Satun (74) and Pattani (53).

While individuals are being allowed to leave the island, inbound traffic is still restricted. No vehicles are being allowed in, except those carrying essential supplies and services.

Phuket International Airport is also still closed.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (13)