Vietnam’s Ministry of Transport has sent a proposal to the country’s Prime Minister about reopening international routes to foreign visitors. The initial plan is to resume flights to six international destinations.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Transport has recently submitted a proposal to the National Steering Committee for the Prevention and Control of Covid-19 to restore some international routes that will transport foreign visitors in and out of Vietnam.
As per the direction of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the Ministry of Transport has organized a meeting with other local agencies, to come up with a plan to be reviewed by the Steering Committee. The aim is to organize regular international flights between Vietnam and some other Asian countries.
Recognizing the opinions of stakeholders, Deputy Minister of Transport Le Anh Tuan has also signed an express dispatch to inform the Steering Committee regarding the plan to restore international routes. This plan will only cover the restoration of international routes that will carry passengers to Vietnam.
The recovery plan will only cover regular flights that will transport passengers into Vietnam. For flights that will transport cargo and passengers going out of Vietnam, these flights must still be in compliance with the request of the airline as well as the multilateral and bilateral international agreements that Vietnam has agreed to.
To ensure an even distribution of the flights that will be operated by Vietnam-based airlines each week, the government plans to minimize the flights to only two flights per day. The plan, which is due to start on Sept. 15, will open routes to Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Cambodia, and Laos
Not all passengers will be allowed to take these flights. The main purpose of this plan is to revive the economy of Vietnam. Thus, only travelers with essential purposes will be allowed into the country.
Aside from public officials, and diplomats, these flights will also allow Vietnamese citizens who were stranded in other countries and are wishing to go back to their home country. There are thousands of Vietnamese nationals living and working in the six countries mentioned. The resumption of international routes on September 15 will be a perfect opportunity for them to go home. Furthermore, foreign experts, skilled workers, foreign investors, as well as employees of companies who have key projects in Vietnam will be allowed to enter as well.
Passengers who are eligible to enter the country on Sept. 15 will be subjected to quarantine regulations. All Vietnamese citizens who are returning to Vietnam will immediately be quarantined for 14 days upon the arrival. They will only be released in isolation if they test negative for Covid-19 twice. The government of Vietnam will shoulder the cost of quarantine, but only for Vietnamese nationals.
Foreign visitors who are considered experts, as well as investors, skilled workers, and employees, will also be quarantined on arrival. But this will not apply to those who are staying in the country for less than 14 days. Short-term visits will be exempted from the quarantine.
After the immigration procedures are completed, all arriving passengers that needed to be isolated will be brought to the designated quarantine facilities. The quarantine measures are carried out according to the guidance provided by the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Epidemic Prevention.
The opening of Vietnam’s borders this coming September 15 will only apply to foreigners who are coming for essential visits. These include foreign investors, skilled workers, technical experts, business professionals, as well as workers of foreign companies with key projects in the country.
Again, foreign visitors who are coming to Vietnam for short term visits will be exempted from quarantine. Short-term visits refer to those who will be in the country for less than 14 days. If their visit is more than two weeks, then a mandatory quarantine is required. They will also have to shoulder the cost involved for the quarantine, as well as the tests that will be conducted. The only time that they will be released from quarantine is when they will test negative after undergoing the test twice.
Since Vietnam will only allow essential visits on Sept. 15, this means tourists are still banned from entering the country. Even though Vietnam wants to reopen its borders to foreign tourists and revive its economy, the country does not want to take chances. The number of Covid-19 cases around the world is still increasing so Vietnam is careful enough not to allow another wave of pandemic into the country.
Vietnam is among those countries that have the lowest number of Covid-19 cases. But the government does not want to be complacent. They are aware of those countries that have opened up for tourism and have to handle another wave of infections. So to protect its citizens, Vietnam will not yet allow foreign tourists for now. Their only aim is to revive its economy by allowing foreign experts, investors, and other essential visits.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Transport has sent a proposal to the country’s Prime Minister about reopening international routes to foreign visitors. The initial plan is to resume flights to six international destinations.
Vietnam has so far been doing well in its fight against COVID-19. Compared to other Asian countries, Vietnam has a low number of confirmed cases and fatality rates.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has recently proposed to operate International flights on September 15 to six different countries, including China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Laos, and Cambodia. Other relevant agencies will also submit their plans to the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control regarding the said proposal.
Even though Vietnam has been successful in containing the Coronavirus outbreak, it still has not opened up to international tourists. The Vietnamese government is careful enough not to allow another wave of infections, such as the case in Da Nang recently.
The Director-General of Vietnam’s Civil Aviation Authority has revealed that it has proposed to the Ministry of Transport the resumption of flights to Japan and South Korea. Such a proposal recommends having eight flights per week in and out of the said countries.
Due to the unpredictable and complicated nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam’s Health Ministry has put in place various initiatives to combat the spread of the disease. These measures have grown more stringent over time and are expected to change from time to time.
In order to curb the spread of Covid-19, Vietnam has decided to shut down its borders in March. The government also suspended all International flights and halted the issuance of new visas to foreign nationals.
