Thailand might be battling its third and worst wave of Covid-19, but the government says the popular resort island of Phuket is still on track to reopen to international tourists next month.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has confirmed that vaccinated travellers from “low-risk countries” will be allowed to fly direct to Phuket and will not have to quarantine. They must stay for at least seven nights in Phuket before being allowed to visit other parts of Thailand. The country is calling this its “Phuket Sandbox" pilot program.

Thailand’s Tourism Authority is expecting around 130,000 visitors to arrive in Phuket between July and September, but notes that this does depend on the overall situation in Thailand and could change.

The reopening is reliant on efforts to vaccinate 70% of Phuket’s residents. A massive vaccination drive is already underway. According to recent media reports, 50% of the provincial population has been vaccinated. That’s in sharp contrast to the rest of Thailand, where just 1.6% of the population have received their shots.

This has drawn plenty of criticism, with some questioning the prioritization of Phuket when many at-risk citizens elsewhere have yet to receive their own doses. The country is struggling to contain its third wave of infections that spread from Bangkok in early April.

On 1 June, Thailand reported 2,230 new cases and 38 deaths. Since the pandemic started, the country has recorded just over 162,000 cases and 1,069 deaths.

For now, all incoming travellers must quarantine for 14 days in a government-approved quarantine facility. Officials say if Phuket’s reopening is successful, then it will be expanded to other tourist hot-spots including Krabi, Koh Samui and Bangkok.