COVID-19 cases have been on the rise in Thailand’s Phuket province over the past week, with a total of 167 COVID-19 Omicron variant cases among Thais and foreign tourists being detected to date, according to provincial health chief Dr. Kusak Kukiattikul.
The number of infections on the resort island increased from 30 cases on December 29th to 64 on January 1st and 3rd before jumping to 149 yesterday (Tuesday), according to the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).
Dr. Kusak said there are between 40 and 50 additional possible Omicron cases, whose samples have been sent for lab tests for confirmation. Over 400 possible cases have been sent for confirmation tests and 12 have returned positive for COVID-19, including 11 Omicron cases.
According to Phuket Governor Narong Woonsiew, foreign arrivals in Phuket average 4,000 a day, compared to about 500 previously, resulting in a shortage of hotel rooms to accommodate the increasing numbers of infected and those who might be infected.
Meanwhile, in the eastern coastal province of Chon Buri, 529 new COVID-19 cases were recorded yesterday. The provincial COVID-19 Operations Centre has also advised people who visited seven sites in Bang Saen sub-district, namely HURT, Replay, Von, Warp, Ban Puen, Lao Rean, Saranrom between December 29th and January 3rd, to take antigen tests.
