Passengers line up to wait for procedures to be carried out at Van Don airport in Quang Ninh province (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Since March 15, aside from havingtheir body temperature checked, all people coming from Europe to Vietnam mustalso have their samples taken for COVID-19 testing right at airports beforemoving to quarantine centres.
The same measures are also applied to peoplefrom the US although they have not been required to stay at quarantine centres,the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) said, noting that the move was madeat the request of the national steering committee for COVID-19 prevention andcontrol.
The firm added passengers waiting to be screenedwill be provided with free meals and drinking water at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhatinternational airports.
The ACV’s data show a sharp increase in thenumber of people returning from Europe, where the novel coronavirus isspreading fast, over the past few days. On March 15 alone, Noi BaiInternational Airport in Hanoi received nearly 1,000 passengers coming fromcountries affected by COVID-19.
In response to the surge, police, customs andhealth forces at Noi Bai have been increased by threefold compared to normaldays to handle passengers from coronavirus-hit areas.
However, waiting is inevitable during peak hoursat airports, the ACV said, adding that the waiting time also depends on thecapacity of quarantine facilities and the coordination of the committees forCOVID-19 prevention and control of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Therefore, passengers are asked to comply withregulations to ensure safety for themselves and assist the VietnameseGovernment and people in the fight against the pandemic./.
VNA
