Thailand's Reopening Plan Goes Ahead Amid Surging COVID-19 Infections: Deputy PM

BANGKOK, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Jul, 2021 ) --:Thailand's plan to reopen the country in mid October is going ahead despite a surge in COVID-19 infections, Thai Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said.

"The plan is still there. We've been trying every way to clean up our country, though the virus is still around. We hope in the coming few months we can welcome our old friends," said Anutin, who is also the public health minister, in an interview with Xinhua on Sunday.

"The Phuket Sandbox carries on. It's a sandbox, so it's well contained," said Anutin.

The Phuket Sandbox refers to the campaign to reopen the resort island of Phuket to vaccinated foreign visitors.

There have been calls for the suspension of the campaign, although the tourism industry remains a lifeline for many Thais.

To curb the spread of infections, Phuket will ban travel from the rest of the country to the resort island from Aug. 3 to 16, but overseas visitors will not be banned.

The deputy prime minister said the authorities are well prepared and confident to solve the problems that could occur in the Phuket Sandbox campaign.