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COVID-19: Three more imported cases raise national count to 2,784

by vov.vn

The latest cases, all Vietnamese citizens, entered the country from Japan, Angola and the US and were put into isolation upon arrival. They are now receiving treatment at local hospitals after they were found to carry the SARS-CoV-2-virus.

Vietnam has to date registered 1570 domestic infections, including 910 recorded since the virus recurred in late January.

A total of 2,475 have been discharged from hospital after making a full recovery from the virus.

Among those still undergoing treatment, 45 have tested negative for the virus at least once. In addition, there are 40,150 people who are currently in quarantine nationwide for medical monitoring.

According to the National Expanded Immunisation Programme, a further 1,423 people were inoculated against COVID-19 on April 17, taking the total number of vaccinated people to 67,789.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long led a working group to examine pandemic prevention and control, and the vaccination work in southern Kien Giang province on April 18.

In the face of the possible coronavirus outbreak as the nation recorded many imported cases of COVID-19 in recent times, particularly illegal entrants, the Health Ministry has set up five working groups led by Minister Nguyen Thanh Long and four deputy ministers to supervise the implementation of regulations on immigration, medical quarantine, and COVID-19 prevention and control, as well as vaccination work in certain localities in the south-western region.

On April 1, the nation received 811,200 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine supplied by the COVAX Facility. On April 7, the Ministry of Health announced the delivery of the vaccine for the second phase, with 49 out of 63 provinces and cities across the nation having access to the vaccine.

Quang Nam seeks approval stamp for ‘vaccine passport’ arrivals

by e.vnexpress.net

Le Tri Thanh, Quang Nam chairman, said Sunday that the central province has sent a draft plan to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on welcoming international tourists.

If approved, Quang Nam will become the first province in the country to accept visitors with the so-called Covid-19 vaccine passports.

The plan will have visitors entering Vietnam on tours organized by international travel agencies. Each visitor should have a vaccine passport (documented proof of vaccination) and a certificate from medical agencies showing negative Covid-19 test results.

“We plan to welcome South Korean visitors in the first phase. We will learn from the experience, and in the second phase, we can open to more markets,” Thanh said.

The group of tourists will go on a charter flight to the Chu Lai Airport and be taken straight to resorts in Duy Xuyen District or Nui Thanh District for 5-10 days, not to quarantine facilities.

Chu Lai is slated to become an international airport and be eligible to add necessary equipment to receive charter flights.

Nguyen Thanh Hong, Director of the Quang Nam Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the two resorts were isolated and quite far from residential areas. The staff at these two resorts will be Covid-19 vaccinated and would follow and apply all pandemic prevention measures, he/she said.

Nguyen Van, deputy director of the provincial health department, said the plan to welcome international visitors has been carefully prepared.

“Throughout the transportation process, the visitors will be required to stay in the car with no stops on the way. The pandemic prevention measures at the accommodations will be applied just like a quarantine center.”

On April 15, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung had said that the ministry plans to reopen international tourism under a roadmap in which the pilot phase from July 2021 to September 2021 will focus on beach tourism and golf tourism in Quang Nam for visitors from the South Korean market.

The ministry’s studies have found that the south of Hoi An area and Chu Lai Airport in Quang Nam Province meet the requirements of safety, transport infrastructure and tourism services as an area for the pilot phase.

The ministry has said that in order to forward the proposal to the prime minister, the Quang Nam administration must review facilities, equipment, human resources and safety requirements; and prepare an official document confirming the province’s readiness to coordinate with the ministry in implementing the plan.

Due to the closure of the borders as a pandemic safety measure, the number of international visitors to Vietnam was just 3.7 million in 2020, down 80 over 2019.

Vietnam stopped all international commercial flights in March 2020. International visitors coming into the country since are mainly experts, high-tech workers, investors and foreigners working on projects in Vietnam.

“We are researching and preparing step by step the pilot selection of a number of markets to apply vaccine passports, welcoming visitors while ensuring safety amid the pandemic,” Hung said.

He also said that his ministry wants the government to apply the vaccine passport policy soon, because it would be key to opening the door for international visitors.