PHUKET, April 9 (TNA) – Phuket Island reported 21 new
Covid-19 cases, raising the total cases to 161 as it has adopted the “active
case finding” measure to screen patients with rapid testing.
Phuket governor, Pakkhapong Thawiphat presided over the meeting of the provincial communicable
disease committee to follow up the Covid-19 situation in this southern resort
province on Thursday.
Twenty-one new cases were
reported in the past 24 hours. Among all 115 patients being treated in
hospitals, three cases are critically-ill.
The total recovery cases are 45
while 104 suspected cases are waiting for lab test results.
All of 21 new infections are
Thais, screened under the proactive approach, implemented by the Public Health Ministry
for at-risk groups, who had close contact with previous patients or who worked
in crowded places or worked closely with foreigners.
With tools, provided by the
private sector, the province can conduct nasal swab to collect secretions of
about 500 persons each day. The samples are sent to labs in Bangkok for coronavirus
testing.
This is the best and effective
way to screen for new cases and contain the spread of the virus, the governor
said.
Meanwhile, the province also
received 3,000 infrared human body temperature thermometers from the Department
of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation for distribution to village heads and
health volunteers, so they can conduct thermal scanning for villagers at homes.
(TNA)
