Thailand's health authorities are crafting new measures for its vaccine strategy as a month-long soft lockdown to curb the country's worst wave of COVID-19 infections dealt a heavy blow on its economy and tourism industry.
Thailand is the latest nation to shut its borders to India travelers since the COVID-19 situation in India has gone out of control, the Times of India reported Wednesday.
Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will meet Wednesday industry groups, including the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Tourism Council of Thailand, to discuss ways to fast-track the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines that so far has been administered to less than 1% of the country's population.
Thailand reported 15 deaths from the disease Tuesday, the most since the pandemic began, taking the total number of fatalities to 163. The southeast Asian country's total caseload has now reached almost 60,000, Bloomberg News reported.
Thailand officials has ordered parks, cinemas, parks and schools closed in the outbreak epicenter of Bangkok, but department stores, malls and restaurants remain open.
The new restrictions have been imposed a week after authorities ordered nightclubs and bars to close and banned restaurants from serving liquor.
Prayut is under pressure to tighten restrictions on travel and businesses as an outbreak that started from nightlife venues in Bangkok has put medical facilities and health care facilities on the brink of collapse.
The Thai Embassy has decided it won't issue any Certificates of Entry to non-Thai nationals for now. Foreign tourists entering the country are required to have a COE, as mandated by Thailand's pandemic laws.
