Vietnam suspends visa exemptions for Italian citizens

Vietnam suspends visa exemptions for Italian citizens to halt the spread of COVID-19

At a recent meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, head of the national steering committee for the prevention and control of the coronavirus, has provided numerous solutions to prevent the epidemic from spreading.

The COVID-19 epidemic has appeared in more than 60 countries and territories, including South Korea, Iran, and Italy, meaning that Vietnam and other countries cannot apply a closed-door policy, but suspending visa exemptions can reduce travel and the spread of the virus.

“We must anticipate every situation so that we can respond to any turn of events. Any potential virus carriers must be quickly quarantined and treated promptly to keep it from spreading to the community,” said DPM Dam.

Therefore, "From March 3, 2020, Vietnam temporarily suspends visa exemptions for Italian citizens," the DPM added.

Previously, Vietnam has also suspendedvisa exemptions for South Korean people from February 29 as a temporary solution to prevent the coronavirus (COVID-19) from spreading.

Regarding Vietnamese people returning from South Korea, the DPM asked for strict quarantines. After gathering sufficient evidence confirming returnees did not contact, reside, or travel through the two main Korean epidemic regions of Daegu and North Gyeongsang, they can be quarantined in their homes.

Emphasising the important role of local authorities, DPM Dam suggested they verify information with families and members returning from affected areas, as well as supervise and ensure strict quarantine regulations.

For Koreans entering Vietnam, the DPM asked airlines to limit the number of flights to and from South Korea. In the near future, flights from South Korea to Vietnam will mainly serve Vietnamese people returning home.

While Vietnam has had some early success in the battle against the COVID-19, the war is far from over and now is no time to relax, DPM Dam added.

The steering committee said Vietnam has been controlling the epidemic well so far and that it has not detected new cases since February 13.

Son Loi commune, Binh Xuyen district in the northern province of Vinh Phuc, which had the highest number of infections, has been quarantined for 20 days and is expected to return to normal on Wednesday.

Currently, Vietnam has more than 10,000 people in quarantine. Early testing will ensure that the quarantined people and the community are more assured of the domestic epidemic situation.

Reports of the Ministry of Health showed that by Monday, more than 89,000 people had been infected with COVID-19 in 67 countries and territories. More than 3,000 people have died of the disease, including more than 2,900 in China.

According to the General Statistics Office, as many as 70,798 visitors arrived to Vietnam from Italy in 2019, up 8 per cent on-year, while this figure was 10,018 in January, a 97 per cent increase on -month and 14.6 per cent on-year, while it reduced to 6,200 arrivals in February.

Italy is one of the countries where the epidemic spreads the fastest. The Italian Ministry of Health confirmed that the virus spreads at the same rate in Italy as in Asia's two largest epicentres, China and South Korea, with nearly 550 cases of new infection every day, with the total infection count reaching 1,688 cases, with 34 mortalities.