According to regular meeting of the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control, Vietnam would divide entrants into three different groups:
- Vietnamese citizens who are stranded abroad and have been administered the Covid-19 vaccine.
- Foreigners entering Vietnam to invest and do business.
- International tourists.
The first group, in addition, a similar protocol is applicable for Vietnamese business people returning home after going abroad for business purposes. Meanwhile the international tourists group is needed to have a specific plan and is awaiting approval.
AVIATION RESPONSE
Through research and review of vaccination situations in the world as well as the study of “vaccine passport” and IATA Travel Pas (ITP) application, Vietnam Aviation Administration reports to the Ministry of Transport and The plan to launch regular international flights with passengers into Vietnam consists of three phases.
Stage 1 restores the flight package (combo). Phase 2 will deploy regular flights carrying passengers into Vietnam with quarantine after entry. Phase 3 will deploy regular flights to Vietnam that do not require post-entry isolation when applying the “vaccine passport” mechanism.
For stage 1, the subject of application is Vietnamese citizens. Vietnamese airlines and partners (travel companies) coordinate with diplomatic missions and localities to receive quarantine at the hotel to organize the flight after obtaining approval from the competent authorities. (Prime Minister, National Steering Committee) with package costs including air tickets, Covid-19 tests, hotel isolation and food for 15 days, ground vehicles pick up at quarantined hotels … Thi deployment field at the request of Vietnamese airlines. The implementation time will be deployed at the same time with the rescue flights organized by the Government (citizens in isolation at military isolation facilities). Frequency of flight operations will be performed according to the local quarantine reception capacity and will be granted flight permits only after the quarantine reception plan has been agreed by the locality.
Stage 2: Vietnamese citizens and foreigners. The airline submitting the flight plan must include the local approved quarantine admission plan for the host airport of the flight. Initially deployed markets were routes between Vietnam and Japan, Korea, and Taiwan with a frequency of 04 flights / week / way for each of the airlines of each party.
At this stage, the passenger pays the airline or the designated partner for the package including: airfare, quarantine fee for 15 days at local hotels where the receiving airport is located. flight, cost of ground vehicle picked up from the airport to the quarantine hotel, standard meal fee 3 meals / day, cost of Covid-19 test as prescribed, other costs incurred (if any). Payments will be made at the quarantine hotel.
Each flight is oriented to arrange inbound passengers to stay at 2-3 hotels so that the clearance of passengers is concentrated and fast. At this stage, passengers are not required to have a Covid-19 review. Implementation period is from July 2021 and carried out simultaneously with package flights (combo) approved by competent authorities to carry Vietnamese citizens back to Vietnam from markets other than Japan and South Korea, Taiwan.
Stage 3 is expected to start from September 2021 depending on vaccination progress in Vietnam and assessment of community immunity after mass vaccination in society. Exploiting markets are countries / territories that have announced their acceptance of the Covid-19 epidemic control effect of the same vaccine that Vietnam has announced for widespread application in the territory of Vietnam. frequency 07 flights / week / way for airlines of each party.
At this stage, no concentrated isolation is required for passengers who have a negative test paper for SARS-CoV-2 using Real-Time PCR technique within 03-05 days prior to entry to Vietnam and to international vaccination certification by government-approved immunization establishments or under the World Health Organization (WHO) vaccination system for vaccine against Covid-19 recognized by Vietnam. effectiveness to deploy and apply in Vietnam.
Post-entry passengers must declare to the local authorities of their place of residence and isolate themselves at the residence for 7-14 days according to the guidance of the Ministry of Health. Passengers who do not have enough SARS-CoV-2 negative test and the International Immunization Certificate must be on quarantine for 14 days in the form of package cost (similar to combo flights).
PLAN FOR INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS
The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines said they will reopen flights to Asian destinations as following:
– Hanoi (HAN) – Tokyo (NRT) flight operates only on 08/04/2021, 11/04/2021, 16/04/2021, 23/04/2021, 29/04/2021.
– Hanoi (HAN) – Seoul (ICN) flight operates only on 08/04/2021, 15/04/2021, 29/04/2021.
– Hanoi (HAN) – Frankfurt (FRA) flight operates only on 09/04/2021.
Regarding budget airline Vietjet Air, from April 1, 2021, Vietjet re-operate regular international flight routes to Bangkok (Thailand), Tokyo (Narita, Japan), Seoul (Incheon, South Korea), Taipei (Taiwan). Specifically, flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Bangkok (Thailand) are scheduled to depart every Friday. Flight from Hanoi to Seoul (Incheon, South Korea) is scheduled to depart on April 15, 2021. Flights from Hanoi to Tokyo (Narita, Japan) are scheduled to depart on 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 23, 26, 29, 30 April 2021. Flights from Hanoi to Taipei (Taiwan) are scheduled to depart on April 11, 2021.
Furthermore details will be updated.