Phuket hospitals are nearing full capacity as new infections surge

14 Sept 01:51 Key points summarised by AI

Phuket's healthcare system faces critical strain, with hospitals 80% full and over 200 new COVID-19 infections reported daily, pushing the island's capacity to its limits.
Significant outbreaks in a provincial prison (199 inmates) and the Thai Mai community (144 cases) have led to a 14-day lockdown for the latter.
Officials are implementing home isolation for asymptomatic patients (85% of cases) and establishing community isolation centers in hotels and the provincial prison to manage the caseload and free up hospital beds.
The surge in infections coincides with the 'Phuket Sandbox' program, which reopened the island to vaccinated foreign tourists and saw the return of tourism-related workers.

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