Vietnam suspends international flights following new COVID-19 wave threats

Vietnamese citizens wait for a repatriation flight from Taiwan. (Photo by the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

By Lan Phong
Head of World News, Dantri Online Newspaper, Vietnam

HANOI: Vietnam has had to suspend all incoming commercial flights after a series of new COVID-19 infection cases were reported in Ho Chi Minh, the country’s second biggest city.

The decision was made by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at a Tuesday meeting in Hanoi with permanent Cabinet members discussing COVID-19 prevention measures.

“We’ll only allow flights that repatriate Vietnamese citizens stranded overseas due to COVID-19,” the Vietnamese Government leader said, asking the Defence Ministry and Ministry of Public Security to manage closely the border and entry-exit activities.

The move came just one day after the Ministry of Health announced the first community infection case of COVID-19, ending a streak of 88 consecutive days without a single local infection in the country.

According to reports from Ho Chi Minh City’s officials, four COVID-19 cases had been detected in the city since November 29, starting with a flight attendant of the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines.

The Vietnam Airlines staff is a crewmember of Flight VN5021 from Japan to Can Tho City on November 14. The male flight attendant had violated disease prevention regulations while staying in a state-run quarantine area and then at home, thus infecting him and a friend with SARS-CoV-2.

His friend has transmitted the virus to at least two other people who were confirmed as new patients on December 1.

Health workers in Ho Chi Minh City conduct more Covid-19 tests for early treatment

Authorities in the southern economic hub have applied various tight measures to prevent the virus spreading. Since December 1, some residential areas, schools, cafes, karaoke bars where the new COVID-19 patients lived and visited have been closed while hundreds of people who have close contact with them have been brought to quarantine areas.

The city has also asked concerned agencies to apply strict punishment to the Vietnam Airlines flight attendant and others who violated regulations on Covid-19 prevention and control.

Vietnam earlier reported two virus waves that spread in the community in April and July. Both were quickly curbed and the country had gone through nearly three months without recording any new infection in the community before the new case was reported in Ho Chi Minh City on November 30.

As of Wednesday morning, Vietnam reported a total of 1,351 Covid-19 patients including 657 cases imported from overseas. As many as 1,195 patients had recovered and been discharged from hospital. There have been 35 deaths, most of them being the elderly with serious underlying diseases.

At present, approximately 17,000 people who had close contact with Covid-19 patients or returned from virus-hit areas are being monitored at hospitals, quarantine facilities and at home.