THAILAND’S daily Covid tally declined slightly to 22,086 today (August 14) from 23,418 yesterday but fatalities increased to 217 from 184, Sanook.com said.
In announcing the today’s Covid totals the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) also revealed that the Tourism Authority of Thailand is moving to ask for relaxation of a key Phuket Sandbox rule by allowing tourists to only stay in Phuket for seven days after their arrival and spend the remaining seven days at other “pilot” areas. If they are then clear of Covid they could travel to other provinces.
Of today’s large batch of cases 21,816 emerged among the general public and 270 in prisons and detention centres.
The cumulative confirmed total since the start of the pandemic has now reached 885,275 and in the ongoing wave that began in April 856,412.
Today’s 217 fatalities raised the death toll to 7,343.
Another 23,672 patients were cured, taking total recoveries in the current wave to 640,130, while 210,376 are still undergoing treatment.
Between February 28 – August 13, 2021 altogether 23,192,491 doses of vaccines were administered.
Yesterday 683,832 people were vaccinated with 456,521 getting their first jab and 178,568 their second.
Meanwhile Mr. Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, secretary to the Prime Minister’s Office, said despite the impact of the Covid crisis the Phuket Sandbox scheme drew nearly 20,000 tourists from launch on July 1 with bookings at Safety and Health Administration (SHA) Plus hotels in the ongoing third quarter reaching 371,826 nights.
Moreover there are continuous incoming flights on a daily basis.
The top five countries from which tourists are coming are the US, UK, Israel, Germany and France. Covid screening found that 55 of the arriving tourists were infected, or 0.28%, and they are now being treated.
Of this total of Sandbox tourists 2,622 travelled out of Phuket by land after the 14-day mandatory stay with the top five destinations being Bangkok, Koh Samui in Surat Thani province, Chiang Mai, Prachuab Kriri Khan and Chonburi.
Another 7,827 tourists, or 42%, left Phuket by sea to visit various tourist attractions where strict safety regulations are in place including surveillance cameras.
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Top: Phuket’s Patong beach. Photo: Dennis Sylvester Hurd
Home Page: A balmy evening in Phuket. Photo: Oliver.dodd (CC BY 2.0)
