Twelve tourists now stuck in “alternative local quarantine” (ALQ) in Phuket after one person who arrived on the same flight to the island tested positive for COVID-19 have asked to fly home.
Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO) Chief Dr Kusak Kukiattikoon confirmed the news yesterday (July 8).
Dr Kusak explained that the 12 tourists who have asked to fly home were among the 14 people who arrived on Emirates flight EK378, which landed in Phuket on Tuesday (July 6).
On the same flight was one man from the United Arab Emirates who tested positive for COVID-19 after landing at Phuket International Airport.
As is now standard procedure under the Phuket Sandbox model, once the man tested positive for COVID-19, he was taken into care at a local quarantine venue, while all people deemed to be high-risk contacts were taken to ALQ venues.
According to the terms of entering Thailand under the Phuket Sandbox policy, tourists are responsible for all costs related to any COVID measures.
As such, Dr Kusak yesterday confirmed that 12 tourists now in ALQ “have informed their intention to return to their countries”.
“At this stage about 20 people, including foreign arrivals under the Phuket Sandbox scheme, hotel staff and taxi drivers, have been been taken to quarantine venues and gone through the testing process,” Dr Kusak said.
“The 20 people tested negative in the first test, and we will test them again six days after this,” he added.
“Do not panic because our medical staff have tested at-risk people. Please trust our disease control measures and follow them,” he said. – Phuket News
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