Tourists at the international airport in Phuket, Thailand. (Photo: AFP/VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Bangkok, Chon Buri, Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan andChiang Mai will begin implementing their tourism reopening plans on October 1as planned, Thai Minister of Tourism and Sports Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn hasconfirmed.
The21 other provinces will follow suit on October 15, he said.
Theofficial admitted the high number of new COVID-19 infections is a majorhindrance, but the ministry is fully prepared for the reopening.
Thecountry’s ministries of education and public health have agreed that schools inprovinces heavily hit by COVID-19 can resume their on-site education when atleast 85 percent of their staff and students are vaccinated against thedisease and all of them undergo regular antigen tests.
Thailandrecorded 13,798 COVID-19 cases on September 15, along with 144 deaths, raisingthe respective figures to over 1.42 million and 14,775.
Meanwhile, Laos logged 223 newinfections in the past 24 hours, announced the Lao Ministry of Health on September15.
The number included 158 in thecommunity, the highest daily count since COVID-19 broke out in thecountry.
The national tally hit 17,905 cases,with 16 fatalities.
Various Lao localities are experiencing complex developments of COVID-19, particularly Vientiane, Khammouane and Savannakhet.Of note, most patients are infected with the Delta variant.
The Lao Health Ministry has called onpeople to refrain from making crowds at events to curb the risks of infection,as well as comply with preventive measures./.
