PHUKET: Most of the tourists found infected with Covid-19 upon arrival are coming from Russia or Kazakhstan, provincial governor Narong Woonciew said on Wednesday.
Mr Narong said about 300 new cases were being diagnosed each day in Phuket, and about 100 of the infections were in people arriving from abroad.
The new arrivals with Covid-19 were mainly from Russia or Kazakhstan, he said.
Mr Narong said this would be reported to the central Covid-19 monitoring agencies, to investigate why so many cases were coming from those two countries, particularly Russia.
On the overall economic condition in Phuket, he said things seemed to be going well for all concerned. Business operators and the people looked happier.
According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, from July 1 last year to Jan 25 Phuket had earned about 14 billion baht in direct income from tourism and about 33 billion baht had been put in circulation, he said.
"The situation looks promising," he added.
Mr Narong said that in the past week there were two stories about Phuket that received nationwide attention. One was an article by British journalist Jonathan Miller about his stay at a Phuket quarantine hotel and the other about a taxi passenger being overcharged.
The governor said he looked at both stories in a positive way. What happened should be taken as lessons, an opportunity to turn crisis into opportunity, he added.
Dr Withita Jaeng-iam, a deputy director of Vachira Phuket Hospital, said vaccination centres were giving a fourth dose against Covid-19 to 4,000-5,000 people per day at Gymnasium 4 building at Sapan Hin, the X-Terminal Building at Phuket international airport, the Jungceylon Shopping Centre in Patong area and at Vachira Phuket Hospital.
Another vaccination centre would be opened next week at the Central Department Store, she said.
As of Feb 1, based on the target to vaccinate 547,584 people, 484,107 or 88.41% had received the first shot; 468,813 or 85.61% of these the second; 306,662 or 56.00% the third; and 59,555 or 19.42% the fourth.
Dr Withita said Phuket had been supplied with 1,950 doses of the Pfizer vaccine for children, while 30,000 children had been registered for inoculation.
Vaccination of children aged 5-11 years would begin on Feb 4, with those in high-risk groups given priority, she said.
