Suspend commercial flights from overseas.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc made this request when concluding the Government's Standing Committee meeting on Covid-19 prevention and control on the afternoon of December 1st. Passengers on all flights returning to the country must be quarantined for 14 days.

Mr. Mai Tien Dung, Minister and Head of the Government Office, explained that international commercial flights reopening from mid-September will stop bringing passengers back to Vietnam, only maintaining flights taking passengers from Vietnam to other countries. This aims to control the epidemic and strictly control the quarantine of incoming passengers. Flights to repatriate Vietnamese citizens abroad will still be maintained for those in difficult circumstances, the elderly, those with low incomes, etc. The government will consider reopening commercial flights from abroad at an appropriate time.

At the meeting, the Prime Minister emphasized the spirit of "being calmer and more decisive," with the entire political system getting involved more strongly, raising responsibility and vigilance in all areas. Localities are implementing the 5K message (masks, disinfection, distance, no gatherings, health declaration), starting with wearing masks and disinfecting.

Previously, on November 30th, the Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority announced it would arrange 33 flights per week to bring citizens from Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan back home, entirely at their own expense, from December 1st to January 15th, 2021. However, following the Prime Minister's directive to temporarily suspend international commercial flights, this proposal will be temporarily halted. Vietnamese citizens wishing to return home will contact their respective embassies and will be able to return on repatriation flights; they will be quarantined at facilities managed by the military. Ten repatriation flights to South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan will continue each month.

From the beginning of April, Vietnam suspended all commercial flights with other countries. Subsequently, some airlines were allowed to resume international flights, but only for cargo into Vietnam and passenger flights out of Vietnam. Passenger flights into Vietnam were conducted with the permission of the authorities, carrying citizens in difficult circumstances, experts, businesspeople, highly skilled workers, etc., and all were subject to quarantine.

In September, the government allowed the aviation industry to resume commercial flights to six countries and territories. However, airlines were only permitted to carry passengers one-way from Vietnam, not in the reverse direction, due to the lack of established procedures for controlling the spread of disease among incoming passengers. The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam piloted two commercial flights from South Korea to establish a disease control procedure.

Following two pilot flights, the repatriation of commercial passengers from abroad has been temporarily suspended pending the Ministry of Health's issuance of the "Procedures for entry and medical monitoring and quarantine to prevent Covid-19 for commercial passengers."

Princess Consuela Banana-Hammock