The committee at the meeting on March 8 discussed the suspension and agreed to make the proposal to the Prime Minister as the fatal epidemic situation has undergone serious developments, with new infections increasing rapidly in the EU, the UK and other countries.

Vietnam will also halt its visa exemption policy for citizens of other countries outside of the EU where over 500 cases have been reported or more than 50 new infections are recorded in a single day, according to the proposal.

Foreigners who show symptoms of Covid-19 infection or have recent travel history to areas hit by a COVID-19 outbreak will be denied to enter Vietnam.

The latest proposals and moves came after nine foreigners, including seven British, one Irish and one Mexican aged between 58 and 74, tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Vietnam after boarding the same Vietnam Airlines flight VN0054 as Hanoi’s first Covid-19 patient, Nguyen Hong Nhung.

Earlier, Vietnam already required those arriving from mainland China, South Korea, Iran, and Italy, the worst-hit countries, to be quarantined for at least 14 days on arrival, apart from suspending visa-free entry for South Koreans and Italians.

From March 7, Vietnam has also started to apply compulsory electronic health declarations for all passengers entering Vietnam. The declaration can be filled in online at https://tokhaiyte.vn/ or on paper at airports. The declaration form is available in English, Chinese, South Korean, Italian and Cambodian, local media reports.

Deputy Prime Minister Dam also ordered compulsory health declarations for all Vietnamese starting from March 10.

This is "not only a responsibility but also a specific action for all Vietnamese people to join hands and unite to fight the epidemic," the proposal said.
The declared information will be strictly managed, exclusively serving the anti-epidemic agenda and will not be used for any other purpose, the committee added.

We all belive that Vietnam would win the battle. "We have won the first round and will absolutely win the whole battle,"