Phuket places 11 tourists from Congo and Uganda under 21-day Ebola monitoring
Phuket has put 11 tourists from Congo and Uganda under 21-day Ebola monitoring and movement controls, with officials saying none has symptoms and no infections have been found in the province.
Phuket authorities have placed 11 tourists from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda under 21-day quarantine or observation measures as the province tightens Ebola surveillance.
Governor Nirat Pongsitthaworn said after a meeting of the Phuket Communicable Disease Committee that the province had received reports of 11 tourists from the target countries entering Phuket. Two are in Thalang district and nine are in Patong, and all are being closely monitored by public health officials.
The move follows a Public Health Ministry declaration designating the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda as dangerous communicable disease zones. Travelers arriving from the two countries must undergo quarantine or be placed under observation at state-designated locations for at least 21 days to prevent any spread of the virus.
Nirat said all 11 travelers came from countries with outbreaks but none had shown signs of illness and none met the criteria of a suspected case. He said the province had immediately imposed control measures including symptom monitoring, travel restrictions and requiring them to remain at their accommodation throughout their stay in Phuket.
According to the governor, one group is scheduled to leave Phuket on May 28 and the other on May 31. While they remain in the province, they will stay under strict surveillance measures to reduce any risk to the public.
He urged residents not to panic, saying Ebola is not transmitted through the air or breathing but through direct contact with bodily fluids from an infected person. Because none of the travelers is sick, the chance of transmission is very low, he said, adding that all are already under official control.
Phuket provincial public health chief Dr Dusadee Kongtrakulsub said there had been no reports of suspected Ebola cases in Phuket. He said surveillance had been stepped up at all entry points, especially Phuket International Airport, which is a main gateway for foreign tourists in southern Thailand.
Dusadee said Ebola spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids such as blood, saliva, mucus and tears, and not through respiration. That means the risk of everyday transmission is lower than for several other communicable diseases, especially when travelers have no symptoms, he said.
The 11 tourists now in Phuket have no symptoms but must remain under monitoring for the full 21-day period under Public Health Ministry guidelines, with officials requiring them to stay at their hotels for maximum safety.
Phuket Provincial Administration Organization President Rewat Areerob said Phuket had direct experience from its response to Covid-19, including quarantine systems, hotel capacity and public health arrangements, and was prepared to manage the situation.
Provincial authorities said no Ebola infections had been found in Phuket and that all measures now in place were preventive steps aimed at protecting residents and visitors.
