The new cases reported today bring the total number of people recognisd by provincial officials in Phuket infected with the disease since the outbreak began to 140.
According to the report released this morning, so far 1,846 people have been put under observation for possible infection of the virus since the outbreak began, said the report. Of these were 14 “new cases”.
Of the 1,846 placed under observation, 1,620 “Persons Under Investigation” (PUI) had been checked and gone home. The remaining 183 had or are still receiving hospital treatment, said the report.
Of those, 86 are waiting for test results to confirm whether they have COVID-19.
The report noted that 42 people who had been confirmed as infected since the outbreak began had recovered and been discharged from hospital care.
The committee gave limited details of the 14 new cases, but noted that 12 of the new cases were found by the mass random testing campaign underway, mainly in Patong.
The details provided of the new cases were as follows:
Case 127. A Russian woman, 24, a tourist who stayed in Patong more than one month. She often visited Bangla Rd. Two persons had high risk exposure to this patient. She also stayed in the same apartment building where three infected women – one Russian and two Kazakh women (Cases 124-126, see here) – stayed.
Case 128. A Thai man, 28, who worked as a cargo staffer at Phuket International Airport. He visited the three provinces in the deep south (Narathiwat, Yala, Pattani) before becoming ill on Mar 28. Seven persons had high risk exposure to this patient. He worked together with Case 121 (see here).
Case 129. A Thai woman, 31, who worked in an entertainment venue on Bangla Rd in Patong where Cases 13, 27 and 35 (see here) worked. She also lived in Patong. She became ill on Mar 28. Two persons had high risk exposure to this patient.
Case 130. A Thai woman, 28, a masseuse working in Patong. She worked in the same massage shop where another masseuse was confirmed infected in Ubon Ratchathani. She became ill on Mar 31. Five persons had high risk exposure to this patient.
Case 131. A Thai woman, 42, a masseuse working in Patong. She became ill on Mar 29. 25 persons had high risk exposure to this patient.
Case 132. A Thai woman, 37, a masseuse who worked in Patong together with Case 130. The woman also lived in Patong. She became ill on Mar 22. Four persons had high risk exposure to this patient.
Case 133. A Thai woman, 64, a masseuse who worked in Patong with Cases 130 and 132. She lived in Patong and did not have any symptoms of infection when she was tested. Five persons had high risk exposure to this patient.
Case 134. A Thai woman, 36, who worked in an entertainment venue on Bangla Rd in Patong and lived in Patong. She did not have any symptoms of infection when she was tested. Two persons had high risk exposure to this patient.
Case 135. A Thai woman, 23, a maid who cleaned the hotel room where Case 58, a French tourist, 32 (see here), stayed. She lived in Patong and did not have any symptoms when she was tested. Three persons had high risk exposure to this patient.
Case 136. A Thai woman, 40, a maid who worked at the same entertainment venue on Bangla Rd in Patong with Cases 17, 36, 56 and 71 (see here). She became ill on Mar 25. One person had high risk exposure to this patient.
Case 137. A Thai man, 41, a waiter at the Italian restaurant in Patong where Cases 59 and 60 (see here) worked. He had high risk exposure to the patients and was staying at the quarantine hotel (Sleep With Me hotel in Patong). He became ill on Mar 30.
Cases 138-140 are all friends of Case 87, a Thai tour guide (see here). They all worked together at an entertainment venue on Bangla Rd.
Case 138. A Thai woman, 24, who became ill on Mar 26. Three persons had high risk exposure to this patient.
Case 139. A Thai woman, 28, who became ill on Apr 4. Four persons had high risk exposure to this patient.
Case 140. A Thai woman, 34, who became ill on Mar 22. Four persons had high risk exposure to this patient.
DIFFERENT FIGURES
In response to a slew of queries about the different number of confirmed cases being reported by Phuket officials compared with the higher numbers being reported in the daily reports by the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) at Government House in Bangkok, the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department (PR Phuket) noted on its official Facebook page that the differences began on Apr 5 – when the mass testing campaign in Patong began.
PR Phuket Chief Bussaya Chaipeum also said that the Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO) counts only the number of infected people who either staying at or otherwise recorded by Vachira Phuket Hospital at 6pm every day.
“The CCSA counts the number of infected at midnight, and the number also includes the number of infected people who were tested in proactive testing in Patong,” she said.
“We have to count at 6pm because officers need to follow up and question those who had high risk exposure to the new cases.
“We have to give details of new cases while the government [CCSA] gives only the number. We need more time to work on our report,” she said. (See post online here.)