Phuket lockdown comes into effect at midnight on Sunday
In this March 26, 2020, photo, tourists play on a beach in Phuket, Thailand. Tourists across Asia are finding their dream vacations have turned into travel nightmares as airlines cancel flights and countries close their borders in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Penny Wang)
Citing the worsening COVID-19 situation in Phuket province, Governor Pakkapong Thaveewat has imposed a lockdown of the popular resorting island, prohibiting all land and sea access to and from the province. Access by air will remain open for the time being.
The lockdown will be in effect from midnight tonight (Sunday) until April 30th.
The only land route linking the island with the mainland, at Tha Chatchai, will be closed to traffic. All vehicles, except trucks carrying consumer products, LPG, fuel, construction materials, medical supplies, rescue vehicles, ambulances, government vehicles and those with permission, will be forbidden crossing into or out of the province.
All boats are forbidden to arrive at or depart from the island, with similar exceptions. Boat skippers and crew members must go through a screening process before being allowing to disembark.
Members and families of diplomatic corps and international organizations working in Phuket must obtain documents from the Thai Foreign Affairs Ministry to certify their presence in Thailand and “fitness to travel” certificates from a doctor.
As for air travel, the Governor said that the number of arrivals has dropped drastically. There were only 4 arrivals today, while departures numbered more than 8,000, adding that access by air will be halted on April 10th.
