Van Don welcomes the first flight to pilot the reception of passengers with vaccine passports

Flight VN5311 is the first flight to pilot the 7-day medical quarantine program. Photo: VNA

Citizens on the flight must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Flight VN5311 carrying 297 Vietnamese citizens from Japan landed safely at Van Don International Airport at 1:30 p.m.

As the first flight to pilot the 7-day medical isolation program of the Ministry of Health, all passengers on the flight must meet two conditions: being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (the last dose must be given at least 14 days and no more than 12 months before the time of entry); and must have a negative test result for SARS-CoV-2 (by RT-PCR/RT-LAMP method) within 72 hours before departure and certified by the competent authority of the host country.

After entering the country at Van Don airport, the passengers moved to Novotel Ha Long Hotel (Quang Ninh) to undergo a 7-day centralized medical quarantine (7 to 14 days shorter than the normal process, depending on the COVID-19 variant strain from where the passenger departed).

The entire process of welcoming passengers at the airport and taking them to quarantine areas is carried out in a professional and orderly manner, strictly following the direction of the Government and the instructions of the Ministry of Health, ensuring absolute safety for all passengers and flight service staff here.

Passengers receive luggage at Van Don airport. Photo: VNA

Mr. Pham Ngoc Sau, Director of Van Don International Airport, said that the process of welcoming incoming passengers still complies with the absolutely safe epidemic prevention standards that the airport has long applied. Accordingly, to respond to the epidemic developments and the risks of spreading from the new strain, the airport has raised the level of applying epidemic prevention safety measures to the highest level.

Specifically, passengers landing at the airport will have their temperature taken, make mandatory health declarations, and complete immigration and customs procedures in separate areas. Passengers will also be instructed to wear masks and maintain a safe distance. Both carry-on and checked baggage will be disinfected with specialized disinfectants.

The terminal area and passenger traffic flow are sprayed with disinfectants; airport staff participating in welcoming these pilot flights must strictly comply with epidemic prevention rules such as: wearing specialized masks, wearing protective clothing according to standards, ensuring a safe distance from customers and performing continuous disinfection.

Mr. Pham Ngoc Sau affirmed: “Flights bringing international passengers back to Vietnam applying the pilot 7-day medical quarantine will create the premise for further expanding the scope to those with real travel needs. These are compatriots from epidemic areas around the world who wish to return home, businessmen, teams of experts... Even gradually restoring domestic flights, resuming trade when the epidemic is gradually controlled. This is also in line with the roadmap to gradually adapt to the 'new normal' conditions, both preventing the epidemic and ensuring the maintenance of trade and economic activities".

According to VNA