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THE resort island of Phuket in Thailand is scheduled to reopen in October. Business groups will buy vaccines to build community immunity on the island.
Quoted from Insider, tourists who come to Phuket and have been vaccinated can pass the 2-week quarantine obligation when the island re-opens.
According to Bhummikitti Ruktaengam, President of the Phuket Tourist Association, said that his party could not wait any longer. The industry will have to wait another year if it misses the height of this winter.
“We can’t wait any longer. If we have to wait, we will not survive. Phuket, one of Thailand’s biggest tourist destinations, plans to make it easier for tourists who have received the COVID-19 vaccine to vacation on the beautiful island known for its beaches, nightlife and luxury resorts,” Bhummikitti Ruktaengam said.
The island plans to purchase enough vaccine doses to inoculate 70% of its approximately 400,000 residents by Sept. 1 to achieve herd immunity in the local population. The venture will be funded by several business groups including the Phuket Chamber of Commerce and the Phuket Tourist Association.
Regarding the opening plan, a program called Phuket First October still needs approval from the government. As for the purchase of the vaccine, Phuket is considering buying a dose of the Sinovac Biotech vaccine from China which the researchers say is 50.4% effective.
The Phuket tourist association did not immediately respond to a request for more detail on the plans, including which vaccines to give to local residents and to receive from tourists.
Thailand will start vaccinating for COVID-19 on February 14, starting with the AstraZeneca vaccine – which has proven to be 82% effective – but health officials don’t expect herd immunity across the country to reach until 2022. [bisnis.com/photo special]
