Phuket resorting to 'hospitels' to keep tourists out of hospitals

Around 66 hotels have submitted to offer their rooms for hotel isolation.

Health officials in Phuket, Thailand are scrambling to identify some 780 rooms at hotels across the island to serve as isolation rooms for tourists infected with COVID-19 but suffering only mild symptoms of infection, instead of having the infected tourists admitted to hospitals.

Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew said with the COVID cases increasing during the new year and each day, the provincial government has prepared and implemented measures to prevent the spread of disease per public health procedures.

Vice Governor Pichet Panapong explained there are a lot of mildly symptomatic or green patients and tourists. Therefore, the number of hotel isolation facilities and 'hospitels' is not enough. "Phuket has to find more hotel isolation facilities to provide comprehensive care for tourists or other infected people. As for tourists who have problems with insurance, they will be taken to a field hospital for treatment."

At the present, Phuket has 100,400 hotel rooms with 70% occupancy. Around 66 hotels have submitted to offer their rooms for hotel isolation.