All in Phuket tourism sector to be vaccinated by July 1

PHUKET: All people directly involved in the tourism sector in Phuket will be vaccinated against the novel coronavirus before the holiday island reopens to international visitors, still planned for July 1.

Phumkit Raktaengam, president of the Phuket Tourist Association, said on Monday that 94,000 people employed in the province's tourist industry would be inoculated against Covid-19.

All residents with household documents registered in the province were also targetted  to receive vaccines, he added.

Phuket has about 400,000 people registered as native residents. The island employs about 500,000 Thai and foreign workers in tourism and other businesses.

The island's vaccination drive plans to cover 70% of the population by the end of June so it could reopen to foreign arrivals in July.

Provincial deputy governor Piyapong Chuwong on Monday confirmed that all people with the household registration on the island would be one of the priority groups for inoculation.

He was speaking as people lodged complaints asking the province to look into vaccinations for residents outside the island.