Hanoi (Reuters) — Vietnam’s tourism ministry on Tuesday proposed a full reopening of the nation to international guests and a lifting of practically all journey restrictions from March 15, three months sooner than deliberate.
The proposal, which might be submitted to the Prime Minister for approval, follows related reopening steps taken by different Southeast Asian international locations like Thailand and the Philippines, the place the Omicron Covid-19 variant has brought on a latest spike in new infections, however fewer hospitalizations and deaths than earlier variants.
The proposal consists of sustaining a one-day quarantine requirement for guests plus requiring unfavourable Covid-19 assessments earlier than departure and on arrival.
Vietnam introduced a document 31,814 new coronavirus circumstances on Tuesday, including to the greater than 2.54 million infections to date. It has recorded about 39,000 deaths general.
It imposed among the many world’s strictest border controls two years in the past because the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe.
It noticed some preliminary success in protecting the virus out, however the coverage dealt a blow to its burgeoning tourism sector, which accounted for about 10% of gross home product in 2019.
Overseas arrivals fell to 157,000 final yr, in contrast with 18 million in 2019.
Vietnam has since November allowed international vacationers to go to designated locations underneath a vaccine passport program and had initially aimed to completely reopen the business from June.
Almost 77% of its 98 million inhabitants has been vaccinated, in accordance with official information, one of many area’s highest charges.
High picture: Vietnam’s Ngo Dong River. Credit score: Adobe Inventory
