Thailand Ministry of Health reports 6,718 new COVID-19 cases and an additional 12 deaths since yesterday. The ministry also announced an additional 7,659 recovered patients.
As the opening of the Test and Go scheme approaches, the government is ramping up the 4th vaccine rollout. The plan is to ensure that the residents of the areas where tourists visit are protected from possible transmission.
Rachada Dhnadirek, deputy government spokeswoman that the doses will be distributed to 10 provinces — four popular tourist destinations and six others with relatively high infection rates.
The four tourism-reliant provinces are Phuket, Surat Thani, Krabi and Phangnga. The six others are either tourist destinations and/or provinces with high infection rates: Bangkok, Chonburi, Samut Prakan, Nonthaburi, Kanchanaburi, and Pathum Thani.
The government’s initial plan is to reserve the fourth shots for medical personnel and front-line responders. However, since the re-opening was approved, they have decided to include the local population. This is to provide protection as the tourism industry reopens.
Stay tuned for Thailand COVID updates.