Six international commercial routes set to open in mid September

The Ministry of Transport and other relevant ministries are set to submit plans to open six additional international commercial routes from September 15 to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, said Dinh Viet Thang, General Director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Viet Nam (CAAV) on September 3.

The planned air routes involve additional pathways to Taiwan (China), China, Cambodia, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, with inbound passenger undergoing isolation each week in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City numbering approximately 5,000.

According to the CAAV proposal, arrivals in Vietnam must have been in the respective partner country or territory for a period of least 30 consecutive days prior to boarding their flight, whilst transit passengers will not be accepted. In addition, passengers must have an nCoV negative certificate issued within three days of their intended flight date.

Upon arrival in the nation, passengers will undergo a quick test, with testing costs covered by airlines, while incoming passengers must stay at locations specifically arranged by the various provincial and municipal People's Committees for a set fee.

The CAAV has therefore requested that the Ministry of Health announce medical quarantine requirements for passengers upon entry, as well as a list of local real-time PCR laboratories in order to inform partners and passengers of the need to have a COVID-19 certificate when exiting the nation.

The country had originally halted all commercial routes with other countries on April 1, although a number of foreign airlines have recently re-launched some international routes for the purpose of transporting goods into Vietnam or carrying passengers out of the nation.

Furthermore, flights carrying passengers into the country will be conducted according to plans devised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the majority of passengers being citizens in difficult circumstances, experts, and high-quality workers who will be isolated immediately upon arrival.

At present, the nation has registered a total of 1,046 cases of nCoV infection since the beginning of the pandemic, including 746 cases who have fully recovered from the disease, in addition to 34 individuals who have passed away due to the virus and other underlying health problems. A total of 691 cases of domestic infection have been recorded, of which the number of cases related to the outbreak in Da Nang stands at 551 since July 25.