A healthcare worker takes a nasal swab sample from a person for a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test, at a temple near Klong Toey slum community in Bangkok, Thailand, May 3, 2021. REUTERS/Juarawee Kittisilpa
The number of daily COVID-19 deaths in Thailand fell below 100 for the second successive day and with the country reporting fewest deaths since July 26, the Ministry of Public Health reported on Sunday (Oct 3).
Thailand reported 77 new fatalities over the last 24 hours, while a total of 10,828 new cases were also reported on Sunday.
In total, Thailand has reported 1,637,432 Covid-19 cases and 17,014 since the start of the pandemic.
The news comes as Thailand announced it was updating its quarantine free travel scheme in Phuket.
The ‘Phuket Sandbox’ is now available to tourists from any country, providing they are fully vaccinated.
Previously only fully vaccinated tourists from low risk countries were able to enter the Phuket Sandbox scheme.
Fully vaccinated tourists are able to roam free on Phuket without the need to quarantine for a period of one week (cut from the 14 days previously) before they are then allowed to visit other provinces.
Thailand hopes to rollout similar quarantine free policies for other tourist destinations, including as Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Hua Hin, from November 1.
As of Friday, Thailand has administered over 54.5 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, with nearly 30 percent of its 69 million population having been fully vaccinated.
(Source: – Asean Now)
