Visitors to Phuket using water transport face strict Covid screening
The Marine Department launched measures in Phuket on Sunday to screen travellers arriving and departing by water transport in a bid to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
The move came after the Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA)'s proposal to reopen Phuket on July 1 and three islands in Surat Thani – Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao – on July 15.
The measures are as follows:
▪︎ Three piers -- Ao Chalong, Rassada and Ao Po -- will be checkpoints for screening travellers' arrivals and departures via water transport.
▪︎ Foreign travellers can leave Phuket by yacht at five yacht piers -- Yacht Haven Marina, Ao Po Grand Marina, Phuket, Royal Phuket Marina and Marina Ao Chalong -- but they must inform the officials at least six hours before departure.
▪︎ Foreign travellers must comply with Covid-19 preventive measures, use tracking application on smartphone and vessel (if any) and contact officials before arrival and departure.
▪︎ Thai nationals and foreign expats (except children aged below six years) who wish to enter Phuket must have received two jabs of Covid-19 vaccines or an AstraZeneca jab at least 15 days before travel, or must have recovered from Covid-19 at least 90 days before travel, or test negative not more than seven days before departure. Also, they must use a tracking application.
▪︎ Transport operators and their officials must disinfect vessels regularly, provide hand-sanitising gels on the vessel, wear a face mask, arrange seats in line with social distancing principles and limit the number of passengers. If using air-conditioned vessels, they must improve the air ventilation system as well.
▪︎ Pier operators must disinfect piers regularly, provide hand-sanitising gels, wear a face mask, arrange seats in line with social distancing principles and screen officials and passengers' symptoms.
Also, they must report information related to passengers' arrivals and departures to related government agencies every day.
To ensure safety and gain confidence among travellers, officials have been instructed to perform duties stricter than usual, said Deputy Transport Minister Athirat Rattanaset.
