Illegal immigrants sent to quarantine in Quang Binh (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Minister of Health Nguyen ThanhLong has submitted a report to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, proposing that inbound flights should be suspended or limited fromcountries and territories where new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus are found.
In the report, the minister noted that 34 countries had announcedthe detection of new COVID-19 variants as of January 3.
On December 18, 2020, the World Health Organisation reportedthat a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus was found in the UK, which is said to be70 percent more transmissible than the old one. It is spreading to othercountries rapidly.
So far, more than 40 countries territories have restrictedtravel from/to the UK and other countries that have reported cases with thevirus variant.
Germany and the Netherlands have been the first to close theborder with the UK, while France has requested travellers to take quarantineand show proof that they have been tested negative for SARS-CoV-2.
Meanwhile, Spain and Turkey have banned immigrants from theUK until the end of January. The US and the rest of Europe have also reducedthe number of flights to the UK.
Japan has announced the ban of all entries until the end ofthis month, while Indonesia has refused to receive travellers from the UK.
In Vietnam, Patient 1,435 returning home from Britain and quarantinedin the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh upon arrival on December 22 was confirmedto be infected with the new virus strain.
So far, Vietnam has reported 1,497 COVID-19 cases, including 693 found in thecommunity./.
VNA
