Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha along with Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Tourism & Sport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn are to arrive in Phuket tomorrow (May 15) to see firsthand the COVID situation on the island and to hand over 100,000 doses of COVID vaccine to be used in the mass-vaccination campaign.

Prayut coming to Phuket as July 1 reopening assured

PHUKET: Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha along with Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Tourism & Sport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn are to arrive in Phuket tomorrow (May 15) to see firsthand the COVID situation on the island and to hand over 100,000 doses of COVID vaccine to be used in the mass-vaccination campaign.

Vachira Phuket Hospital Director Dr Chalermpong Sukontapol confirmed the news following the meeting of the Phuket Communicable Disease Committee at Phuket provincial Hall today (May 14).

"Tomorrow (May 15), the Prime Minister, the Minister of Public Health and the Minister of Tourism and sport will come to hand over 100,000 doses of Sinovac vaccine. Another 100,000 doses will come on May 18," Dr Chalermpong said.

"I would say it is our good luck to receive the number of vaccines to accomplish our Phuket Sandbox plan. We receive vaccine doses faster than other provinces," he added.

"We will start administering the vaccine doses [that will arrive tomorrow] from May 18-28," Dr Chalermpong said.

"We will receive doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in early June to give to elders. The vaccine will be given to those who are older than 60 years old and to those who have dangerous diseases [medical conditions] over three days, from June 7-9," he explained.

"Then we will administer a further 140,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to people from June 10-16," he continued.

"After that, we will give the second injection of the Sinovac vaccine to those who received their first injection in May. That will complete our 300,000 people vaccinated with Sinovac.

"For the 140,000 people who will get the AstraZeneca vaccine, they will develop immunity after two weeks. They will get the second injection in August," he said.

"So, that will be 440,000 people in Phuket vaccinated for the virus; 300,000 people will be fully vaccinated with Sinovac and 140,000 will have had their first jab of AstraZeneca. That means we will be able to open on July 1," Dr Chalermpong assured.

"For foreigners, migrant workers, or expats working in Phuket, we will arrange the vaccine doses and give them to you before the end of June for sure," Dr Chalermpong said.

"We are living and working in Phuket together. We will achieve herd immunity together," he added.