BANGKOK, Jul 1 (NNN-TNA) – Thailand’s Phuket, yesterday, reported its first two COVID-19 cases of Delta variant, just one day before the resort island’s planned reopening to vaccinated foreign visitors without quarantine, from today.
In total, five new infections were confirmed yesterday in Phuket, with five others reported Tuesday, according to Kusak Kukiatkul, chief of the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office.
Of the two patients infected with the Delta variant, one came from the capital, Bangkok earlier this month, and the other was from a neighbouring province, the official said.
Over 30 people were considered being at high risk of infection, due to close contact with the patients and are currently quarantined, he said.
From today, Phuket will welcome back international tourists without quarantine, provided that, they have been fully vaccinated and tested negative. They can travel to the rest of Thailand, after staying on the island for 14 nights.
Thai government spokesperson, Anucha Burapachaisri, said yesterday that, Prime Minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha, is scheduled to take a field visit to Phuket and chair a meeting with provincial administrations and local private sector on the launching preparation of the programme.
The government expected approximately 100,000 foreign tourists to come to Thailand during the Jul-Sept period under the Phuket Sandbox programme, which may generate an estimated revenue of 8.9 billion baht (about 277.7 million U.S. dollars), Anucha said.
The programme is considered a pilot of Thailand’s broader reopening, scheduled later this year, as the country strove to revive the industry and reboot economic growth.
However, Thai authorities warned that, the Phuket reopening would be cancelled in the worst-case scenarios, where, for example, new infections in Phuket reach 90 cases per week, three districts or more than six villages have local transmissions, or healthcare facilities exceed 80 percent of capacity on the island.– NNN-TNA
