Present at the meeting to hear the assurances were Phuket Vice Governor Suphoj Rotrueang Na Nongkhai along with the heads of government agencies and representatives from the Phuket Chamber of Commerce, Phuket Tourism Industry Council, Phuket Tourism Business Association, Thai Hotels Association Southern chapter, Phuket Professional Tourist Association, Phuket Old Town Tourism Community, hotel business operators, tour boat operators and airlines.
“Phuket has implemented strict measures to prevent pneumonia from the new virus on Jan 5 with disease surveillance measures, disease prevention and control measures, tourism measures and measures on public transport and to reduce the impact of the virus, which includes both fiscal and fiscal remedies,” the Governor said.
“Phuket has discussed with the private sector to revitalise the tourism industry of Phuket now and in the future in order to reduce the economic impact that will occur due to the decrease in the number of tourists at this time by helping to find measures to promote tourism in the country as well as building confidence in tourists in the disease control measures in Thailand and Phuket,” he added.
HELP YOURSELF
Governor Phakaphong said that in addition to the surveillance and other measures rolled out, “The “Phuket Government would like the private sector in Phuket to work together to create knowledge and understanding among tourists [about the virus and the current state of Phuket amid the outbreak], including creating guidelines to prevent [the spread of] pneumonia [in order to] to stimulate the economy for the accommodation, marine tourism, restaurant and entertainment businesses in Phuket to the same [financial performance] as before.”
At the Bangkok-ordered “daily update” earlier in the day yesterday, Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong called on all marine tourism and boat tour operators to help boost checks on passengers at the 24 main tour boat piers in Phuket.
“The Phuket Provincial Transport Office and the Phuket Regional Harbor Office are to advise all public transport operators and piers to focus on cleaning all docks and passenger transportation stations to prevent and control the spread of the coronavirus to build confidence for people and tourists,” Vice Governor Phichet said.
“The screening [for the virus] has been expanded to schools, and we request cooperation from local administrative organisations and all educational institutions to cooperate in measuring the temperature of students at schools so they are safe as well,” he added.
HAND-WASHING
Prapai Suankul, Senior Policy Specialist at the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO), said that PLTO officers had been conducting checks and educating people working in the “public transport sector” – which in Phuket is entirely operated by private companies and organisations – since Jan 23.
Mr Prapai highlighted that PLTO officers, with the support of speakers from the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office, had conducted such forays to Phuket’s two main bus terminals.
Workers and passengers at the bus terminals were apparently informed of the importance of protecting themselves from the disease and instructed in the use of face masks and hand santisers, Mr Prapai said.
Sakhon Pudam, Transport Specialist at the Phuket Marine Office, also explained that that his office has “requested cooperation” from the operators of the 24 main tour boat piers in Phuket to control the spread of the virus “to look after citizens and tourists”
“We plan to create a public relations media campaign to promote to tourists to act in prevention and control of the disease, such as a campaign for tourists to use gel to wash hands,” he said.
However, despite being ordered to inform the public every day with updates on the state of the virus in Phuket, Vice Governor Phichet yesterday made no mention of how many people in Phuket suspected of being infected with the virus remained under observation, or if any new cases had been identified.