[ad_1]
BANGKOK, March 8 (Reuters): Thailand will reduce its mandatory quarantine from 14 days to seven days from next month for foreigners arriving in the country who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus, its health minister said on Monday.
Vaccinations must be administered within three months of the travel period and visitors must still show negative COVID-19 test results within three days of departure, Anutin Charnvirankul said at a press conference.
Those not yet inoculated but with coronavirus-free certificates will be quarantined for 10 days, he said.
“Foreigners who travel to Thailand with vaccination certificates according to the requirements of each brand, should be quarantined for only seven days,” Anutin said, referring to the doses necessary to be effective.
Thailand’s flight limits, strict entry requirements, and mandatory quarantine for all arrivals have been critical to its success in limiting the spread of the virus to just over 26,000 cases and 85 deaths.
Yet those restrictions have decimated its vital tourism sector, causing widespread job losses and business closures, and contributing to the country’s deepest economic traction in more than two decades.
The country received about 40 million visitors in 2019.
The new measures do not apply to those traveling from Africa, who would still be subject to quarantine for two weeks due to concerns about other variants of the virus.
Thai citizens vaccinated without a certificate proving they are free of coronavirus must spend a week in quarantine after two negative tests in the country.
After October, if Thailand inoculates 70% of medical personnel and groups at risk, there could be further relaxation of the restriction, Anutin said, adding that it was possible that the quarantine could be lifted entirely.
Thailand has so far vaccinated 27,497 people, mostly medical workers, with the Sinovac Biotech vaccine. It has ordered 61 million total doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine with mass vaccinations scheduled to begin in June.
Anutin said the country may need to order an additional 10 million to 20 million doses, which it could obtain from other producers. – Reuters
[ad_2]
