International flights to Vietnam's major cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) via Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat international airports will be suspended as Covid-19 spreads widely, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAC).
Noi Bai Airport will be closed to inbound passenger flights from June 1 until June 7 while outbound flights depart normally, the CAAC said.
Meanwhile, international flights would not be allowed to land at Tan Son Nhat International Airport until June 14, instead of June 4 as previously announced.
In the fresh wave that Vietnam started suffering in late April, Hanoi and HCMC recorded 411 and 157 cases, respectively, at different clusters.
Passengers wait for medical screening at Noi Bai International Airport. Photo: Ngoc Tan |
The CAAV sent an urgent dispatch on May 27 to airlines, the Southern Airport Authority, the HCMC People’s Committee, the city's Consular Department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Immigration Department under the Ministry of Public Security notifying the suspension.
Foreign arrivals to Vietnam have been limited since March last year due to Covid-19.
Only the entry of Vietnamese citizens stranded overseas, foreign officials, diplomats, experts, investors and high-skilled workers are allowed. The passengers must undergo a 21-day mandatory quarantine period, either in centralized camps or other facilities including hotels.
A report from the Ministry of Health showed that Vietnam has recorded 7,236 Covid-19 patients. Among them, 2,950 recoveries and 47 deaths related to the disease.
