Phuket reopens mass-vaccination campaign with goal of 14,000 jabs a day

Phuket’s mass Covid-19 vaccination program has kicked off again, with the goal of administering 14,000 shots a day to see 70% of the province’s population vaccinated by July 1. The Vachira Phuket Hospital Director says 85,000 of the 200,000 Sinovac vaccine doses for May have already arrived, with 115,000 doses more scheduled to arrive today.

Up to last weekend only 22% of the local population had been vaccinated.

(We know you’re getting your calculators out)

The Phuket News reports that the director of the hospital in Phuket Town says that 200,000 doses will be provided from May 18 to May 28 as the first injections for the vaccine. But he says the goal of 14,000vaccinations per day is challenging for medical staff.

He says the first rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Phuket will begin early next month. Then, another mass-vaccination window will start from June 15 for those receiving their second dose of the Sinovac vaccine.

Officials say another vaccination centre has been set up at the Central Phuket Floresta shopping mall on the bypass road, bringing the total amount of centres to 6.

According to The Phuket News, the X-Terminal building at Phuket International Airport, Jungceylon Shopping Centre in Patong, Angsana Laguna Phuket resort in Cherng Talay, the Phuket Orchid Resort in Karon and the Indoor Sports Stadium at Saphan Hin are the other locations designated for the program.

The director is urging people to come prepared and on time with their ID cards, a pen, short sleeve shirts, and mobile phones showing the SMS appointment to help speed up the inoculations.

The Phuket Tourist Association says the amount of those registering for vaccines is going to increase to 300,000 over the next few days, reminding people to have patience for 42 more days.

Today, the public health department has reported 3,394 new cases and 29 new Covid-related deaths. 1,498 of today’s cases come from Thailand’s prisons. Taking the shameful inmate toll out of the equation, and the trend is still steady with around 2,000 – 2,500 new cases each day over the past 3 weeks across Thailand.

SOURCE: The Phuket News