PHUKET: While Covid-19 cases in most parts of the country are rising, the number of daily infections in this southern island province is declining, provincial health office chief Kusak Kukiaitkoon said on Thursday.
Dr Kusak said during the past seven days the number of daily cases had tapered off, from 300-400 to 288, while the accumulated death toll was 92.
Of the fatalities, 73, or about 80%, were in the "608 group", comprising people 60 years old or more and those with any of seven underlying illnesses.
There were now 24 Covid patients with pneumonia. The occupation rate of beds reserved for the yellow and red categories was only 30%. There were still sufficient beds for patients in that group, Dr Kusak said.
During the period March 1-27, about 63,000 tourists arrived from abroad via the Phuket Sandbox and Test & Go programmes, he said.
Daily arrivals averaged 2,500-3,000 and only 20-30, about 1%, tested positive for the coronavirus, he said.
Most of the tourists found with Covid-19 upon arrival were from Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and France, followed by Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Israel, Singapore and Australia.
In Phuket, 93.5% of the population had received a first shot of Covid vaccine, 87.89% a second shot, 68.07% a third and 37.42% a fourth.
The Phuket public health office had campaigned from March 21-31 for people, Thais and foreigners and especially those in the 608 group, to the get booster shots, which were available at all hospitals in the province.
The office had also promoted health safety awareness ahead of the Songkran Festival, advising people to get fully-vaccinated and take an RT-PCR test before returning home for a family reunion.
