(TITC) - On 15th February, at the Government Headquarters, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam chaired a meeting in discussion of the plan to resume fully tourism activities in the context of safe, flexible adaptation and effective control of the COVID-19 pandemic, associated with the gradual social-economic recovery.
Overview of the meeting (Photo: VGP News)
At the meeting, the leader of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MOCST) presented a proposal to fully resume tourism activities from 15th March. Basing on the proposal of the MOCST, the relevant ministries and sectors attending the meeting, including: Health, Foreign Affairs, Transport, Public Security and National Defence discussed and agreed to a proposal plan to reopen from 15th March.
According to the proposal, international and domestic tourism will be fully reopened from 15th March via air, land and sea route. The measures to control travel since the outbreak have been lifted, along with strict implementation of pandemic prevention and control solutions, especially the implementation of 5K anytime, anywhere, anystage.
International tourists to Vietnam are not required for tour package registration as during the pilot period, only show the COVID-19 vaccination certificate or a certificate of recovery. A negative PCR test result for SARS-COV-2 is compulsory, however, a preemptive self-test is accepted. Children over 12 years old are required to receive 2 rounds of vaccination.
Regarding the issuance of visas, previously, Vietnam has granted unilateral visa exemption for citizens of 13 countries and bilateral visa exemption for specific citizens of 88 countries and territories. However, since the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 and depending on the development of the pandemic in other countries, the Government decided to issue a resolution to stop this visa exemption. Under the new normal condition, ministries and sectors agreed to propose to the Government that from 15th March, the application for entry visas for international visitors will resume as usual, including electronic visa issuance, unilateral and bilateral visa exemption.
For international visitors entering via airways, cases with suspected symptoms must be tested immediately at the airport. For international visitors entering via land, will be tested at the border gate before entry. International visitors are required to install a health management application and set it as active during travel. The proposal also asked insurance to cover COVID-19. If any international visitor receives positive results, they will undergo quarantine, receive close supervision and be treated as a Vietnamese citizen.
Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam asked, in the spirit of flexibly, safely adaptation and effectively controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, each ministry and sector must urgently and responsibly implement effective solutions to resume tourism activities, ensure safety in pandemic prevention and control. After the meeting, the MOCST is required to continue working with relevant ministries and sectors to have timely and detailed instructions on reopening tourism and soon report to the Government.
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