500,000 doses of vaccine delivered to Krabi to prepare for reopening
Public Health Ministry has delivered 500,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine to Krabi to prepare for the full reopening of resort province to foreign tourists, said minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Thursday.
“Currently about 62.5 per cent of those in risky groups in Krabi have been vaccinated against Covid-19, while the overall vaccination rate in the province is at 35.7 per cent,” he said. “We aim to vaccinate 100 per cent of locals before fully open the province to foreign tourists.”
Risky groups include elders aged over 60 years, pregnant women of over 12 weeks, and people with underlying health problems.
Krabi is one of the pilot areas that join the government’s extended tourism sandbox scheme that started in August. Vaccinated tourists who have stayed in Phuket for 7 days and still test negative will be able to travel to selected destinations under sealed routes model such as Koh Phi Phi and Kho Ngai in Krabi as well as Khao Lak and Kho Yao in Phang Nga.
“Priorities in vaccination will be given to students in the province, as the schools will reopen from November onward,” added Anutin. “Health professionals and volunteers who have close contact with patients will also get the jabs to prevent the infection.”
“We need to achieve the 100 per cent vaccination in Krabi as soon as possible as the province is located near Phuket and has a potential to welcome more foreign visitors from the sandbox programme,” added Anutin. “When every local is vaccinated, the province will be safe from Covid-19 and the tourism industry can start growing again.”