Thailand: Jabs rollout revs up amid tourism hope

• The Public Health Ministry is speeding up vaccinations in Phuket and Koh Samui to prepare them for the anticipated return of foreign tourists in Jul 21.
• Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on 22 Mar 21 spoke about the Phuket private sector’s request for 900,000 AstraZeneca doses, saying the request would likely be approved since the government had secured five million doses for Jun 21 and 10 million more each month after that.
• The minister said the latest batch of 800,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine had been allocated to at-risk provinces such as Samut Sakhon and other tourist towns but Phuket would receive 100,000 doses and Koh Samui 50,000.
• Mr Anutin added that one million doses would be allocated to the armed forces but he could not confirm the anticipated reopening date for foreign travellers on Jul 21.
• Samui has been approved in principle to be the first area in the country to reopen to foreign tourists.
• A Bangkok Airways flight will take tourists from Singapore to the island on 1 Jul 21, according to the Tourism Association of Koh Samui.

External Link : https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2087927/jabs-rollout-revs-up-amid-tourism-hope