Samut Sakhon tightens control measures after woman tests positive for Covid-19
A 67-year-old woman who runs a seafood shop has been confirmed positive for Covid-19 in Samut Sakhon province.
Update on daily Covid-19 report: 15 Covid-19 cases found in quarantine, one domestic case confirmed in Samut Sakhon
Provincial Governor Weerasak Wijitsaengsri told a press conference on Thursday evening that the Department of Disease Control had confirmed a Covid-19 case in the province.
“The patient is a 67-year-old woman who runs a seafood shop in Samut Sakhon Prawn Market in Mahachai subdistrict,” he said.
“She showed symptoms of muscle ache and loss of her ability to smell on December 13. She was tested at a private hospital. The test came back positive and she was sent to Samut Sakhon Hospital for treatment until Thursday, when she took the test again and was confirmed to be infected with the Covid-19 virus.”
The governor added that the patient’s travel history and close contacts had been tracked and tested. He said 16 out of 18 persons who were in close contact with her had been tested and placed in quarantine. Ten of the results already received were all negative.
“Officials are tracking two persons who have not been tested yet. They are Myanmar workers who had visited the patient’s shop,” he added.
“We are still tracking the origin of the infection in this case. People should stay tuned for updates from the province authorities and refrain from believing rumours or news from unconfirmed sources.
“The province has ordered the Samut Sakhon Prawn Market to shut down for one day on Thursday for cleaning and disinfection, while the patient’s seafood shop has been closed for three days,” Weerasak added.
“We urge people to wear face masks, wash their hands regularly, maintain social distancing and avoid going to crowded areas.”
Samut Sakhon police chief Pol Colonep Phatpakorn Chanprasert added that police would strictly enforce the rules that had been used in the province during the Covid-19 lockdown earlier this year to control the outbreak.
“This includes fining up to Bt20,000 anyone who does not wear a face mask in public,” he said.