Phuket officials will relax a wide range of business closures on the island ordered to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and relax measures to allow people to enter the province under a new order yet to be issued, but announced to come into effect on June 1.
The Phuket Communicable Disease Committee resolved to allow the relaxation of COVID measures at a meeting held at Phuket Provincial hall yesterday (May 27), said a report by the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department (PR Phuket).
Among the 23 committee members present were Phuket Vice Governors Pichet Panapong and Piyapong Choowong, and Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation (PPAO, or OrBorJor) President Rewat Areerob.
ENTERING PHUKET
From June 1, people entering Phuket by road still must be fully vaccinated or have tested negative for the virus.
However, instead of the previous requirement that arrivals must have tested negative for the virus within 72 hours of arriving, officials will require that the test has been conducted within seven days of arriving.
Tests to prove a person is not infected can be either RT-PCR or rapid antigen tests.
Children up to 5 years of age traveling with their parents must also have tested negative for the virus.
People unable to prove either will be required to observe a 14-day quarantine if they want to enter Phuket.
The same relaxations apply for people arriving via the airport, except children under 5 years old will not be required to have been tested.
Not mentioned in the report was that air passengers travelling to Phuket currently must present the required documents at the airport of origin or else they will not be allowed to board the flight to Phuket.
Not said but presumed to be in effect is that quarantine in Phuket is not an option for people arriving on the island by plane.
ALLOWED TO REOPEN FROM JUNE 1
Under the new order to be issued many businesses across the island will be allowed to reopen from June 1.
However PR Phuket Chief Busaya Jaipiam confirmed to The Phuket News today that pubs and bars will be required to remain closed and the ban on alcohol at restaurants will remain in effect until further notice.
Also still suspended from reopening are schools and educational institutions under the supervision of the Ministry of Education, which are currently set to resume classes on june 14.
Meanwhile, the venues and businesses allowed to reopen from june 1 were given as follows:
- Spa business establishments, massage businesses for health or beauty
- Venues for providing tattoos or piercing any parts of the body
- Venues for fortune telling or other similar activities
- Venues where amulets are sold
- Venues where customers can fish for shrimp or fish
- Scuba diving businesses, including tourism-related businesses, as well as businesses that operate snorkelling activities
- Walking street markets, flea markets, retail stores, wholesaler venues, community malls and markets may open but the consumption of liquor or alcoholic beverages at the venues remains prohibited
- All private nurseries and kindergartens may reopen
- Food or beverage shops that allow customers to consume food or beverages at the venue may reopen within their normal permitted hours
- Stadiums or venues for outdoor exercise, such as parks, courtyards and open-air public activity areas, may open but there must be no spectators or congregation
- Venues for indoor exercise, such as sports courts, gymnasiums, fitness centres, badminton courts are allowed to reopen
- Golf courses or golf practice fields (driving ranges) are allowed to reopen without crowds or competitions
- Beauty clinics, centres, salons or places that provide specialised services for beauty treatments, including nail salons and venues selling slimming products may reopen
- Beauty salons, hair cutting and styling shops for men and women can open but only for hair cutting and hairdressing activities
- Pet care and grooming venues can reopen.
All types of businesses to reopen under the relaxation measures must operate in strict compliance with the standards and requirements of the Ministry of Public Health, the report noted.
“The provincial government will expedite the preparation of the required orders as soon as possible and is expected to come into effect on June 1, 2021 onwards,” the report added.
Source : www.thephuketnews.com
