Passengers wait to handle boarding procedures at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi. (Photo: VNA)At a meeting in Hanoi onDecember 8, ministries reported that since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, Vietnamhas received more than 200,000 foreign experts, engineers, and skilled workers.A large number of flights have also been conducted to repatriate Vietnamesecitizens with urgent demand for returning home, basing on the anti-pandemicprinciples and domestic quarantine capacity. Recently, some localities havepiloted a programme to welcome international tourists back.
The Ministry of ForeignAffairs and the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs highlighted thegreat demand for returning to the homeland among OVs, including workers withexpired labour contracts, students, and those going abroad for businesspurposes but stranded.
However, they noted, thebiggest difficulty now is how to balance the pandemic control capacity,especially amid the appearance of the Omicron variant, and OVs and foreigners’demand.
Dam, who is also Deputy Head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention andControl, said apart from receiving foreign experts, engineers, skilled workers,and tourists, ministries and sectors also need to pay special attention to OVs’demand for returning home, especially when the Lunar New Year festival isnearing.
He noted the current COVID-19situation in the country is different from the previous months. Though thecoronavirus still spreads in the community and the number of infections remains high,the pandemic is basically under control. The vaccination rate has been growingfast, and the country is focusing on curbing the cases in critical conditionsand deaths.
Given this, it is necessaryto change the mindset in the reception of those coming to the country, he said.
The Deputy PM requested thatby December 15 at the latest, the Ministry of Health issue new guidances onquarantine and health monitoring for people entering Vietnam. In particular, peoplewho have been fully vaccinated and tested negative for the virus only need toundergo self-quarantine at home. Those who haven’t been vaccinated will stay atdomestic quarantine sites and receive inoculations.
Dam also asked the Ministryof Transport, the aviation sector, and related ministries and sectors to stepup preparations for resuming international commercial flights./.
VNA
