CCSA panel approves 10-day quarantine
A subcommittee of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Thursday approved reducing quarantine to 10 days for foreign tourists from countries with the same or slightly higher contagion risk as Thailand.
Travellers from high-risk countries will still be subject to quarantine for 14 days, said Public Health Permanent Secretary Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit, after chairing the health subcommittee. The panel believes cutting the quarantine period will attract more tourists to Thailand.
The move came after a medical trial found that 10-day and 14-day quarantines had the same result.
“Reducing quarantine to 10 days only slightly increases risk of infections, from 0.3 people per 1 million in 14-day quarantine to 1.5 per million in 10-day quarantine,” said Kiattiphum.
He added that if the usual 30 million people entered Thailand each year, around 300 asymptomatic Covid-19 cases might slip through the 10-day quarantine but wristband trackers and health system readiness would help trace them for treatment.
“After 10 days, it should be possible for tourists to travel to at least 10 provinces where disease prevention measures [are in place], including Chonburi, Phuket, Rayong, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Buriram and Surat Thani,” he added.
Health panel will now send its report and recommendation to the CCSA committee chaired by the prime minister for approval.