Vietnam plans to resume flights to some virus-free countries

[snoop1130]

Vietnam plans to resume flights to some virus-free countries

 

FILE PHOTO: A health worker sprays disinfectant inside a Vietnam Airlines airplane to protect from the recent coronavirus outbreak, at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi, Vietnam February 21, 2020. REUTERS/Kham

 

HANOI(Reuters) - Vietnam plans to allow a resumption of flights to and from countries that have had no cases of coronavirus for 30 days, state media cited the prime minister as saying on Tuesday, with priority destinations including Japan, South Korea and Cambodia.

 

In the comments broadcast by Vietnam Television (VTV), Nguyen Xuan Phuc did not specify whether inbound travellers from these places would be subject to a quarantine programme in place since mid March.

 

Vietnam has contained its tally of infections from COVID-19 to a relatively low 332 and reported no deaths. Tens of thousands of incoming travellers have been put in quarantine.

 

"Vietnam is looking to resume international flights with countries that have registered no new COVID-19 cases in 30 days but the resumption needs to be extremely cautious considering the complexity of the pandemic," VTV quoted Prime Minister Phuc as saying.

 

The National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control had been asked to draft a list of "safe" countries, the prime minister said.

 

He did not say whether countries or airlines had been consulted, but said destinations such as Guangzhou in China, Tokyo, Seoul, Taiwan, Laos and Cambodia were among the priority routes to reopen.

 

Vietnam on Monday reported three new coronavirus infections, all of which were imported cases.

 

The Southeast Asian country has gone 54 days without a domestically transmitted infection.

 

Vietnam has suspended international flights since March 25 with some exceptions and banned the entry of foreign nationals since March 22 in an effort to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-06-09

 

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[Mavideol]

7 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

with priority destinations including Japan, South Korea and Cambodia.

They didn't mention Thailand...yesterday Thailand mention Vietnam as part of their travel bubble... hummm smells fishy

 

Thai travel bubbles are bursting out all over

foreign tourism would begin with a travel bubble between Thailand and countries such as Vietnam and China which had got a firm grip on the pesky virus.

[Scouse123]

16 hours ago, Mavideol said:

They didn't mention Thailand...yesterday Thailand mention Vietnam as part of their travel bubble... hummm smells fishy

 

Thai travel bubbles are bursting out all over

foreign tourism would begin with a travel bubble between Thailand and countries such as Vietnam and China which had got a firm grip on the pesky virus.

 

 

And Thailand did not mention Cambodia but Vietnam did.

 

Also, I would not even consider allowing the Chinese anywhere if this credible report is anything to go by.

 

This needs reading!

 

https://www.news-medical.net/amp/news/20200608/Cremation-numbers-reveal-possible-suppression-of-true-COVID-19-data-in-China.aspx

[Sujo]

Well done vietnam, i was there in the very early stages of covid and they already had distancing and other precautions in place. I only got back to malaysia with a couple of days to spare before borders closed.

 

So vietnan and nz leading the way through listening to the experts and acting early.

[Burma Bill]

25 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

And Thailand did not mention Cambodia but Vietnam did

This is why and recognized by Vietnam:-

 

 Cambodia

Coronavirus Cases:

126

Deaths:

0

Recovered:

125

[Burma Bill]

This is good news as Vietnam Airlines usually operates regular flights from Cambodia to the international hubs of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh linking with long haul worldwide flights rather than Bangkok. Maybe ex-pats and stranded tourists here in Cambodia may at last be able to return home earlier than those locked down in draconian Thailand! No doubt there will be public health restrictions but it is a good start! The border with Thailand is still CLOSED.

[Scouse123]

15 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

This is why and recognized by Vietnam:-

 

 Cambodia

Coronavirus Cases:

126

Deaths:

0

Recovered:

125

 

 

Agreed,

 

So why does Thailand never mention Cambodia in all their bulletins about travel bubbles?

[NanLaew]

17 hours ago, Mavideol said:

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

with priority destinations including Japan, South Korea and Cambodia.

They didn't mention Thailand...yesterday Thailand mention Vietnam as part of their travel bubble... hummm smells fishy

 

Thai travel bubbles are bursting out all over

foreign tourism would begin with a travel bubble between Thailand and countries such as Vietnam and China which had got a firm grip on the pesky virus.

Thailand desperately wants to be on Vietnam's wish list but they're still detecting cases here so sorry, no chance of any reciprocity there.

 

The foreign tourism corridor will be China-Vietnam although there was evidence a few months back that there already was a back door for the Chinese to Vietnam through Cambodia. When bus loads of Chinese were health checked just miles from the Cambodian-Vietnam border, one has to wonder what marvelous Cambodian tourist attraction they were visiting all the way over there, no? It would be like thousands of Chinese suddenly taking an interest in Udon Thani's bronze age jugs and Ho Chi Minh's staycation home.

[Burma Bill]

11 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

When bus loads of Chinese were health checked just miles from the Cambodian-Vietnam border, one has to wonder what marvelous Cambodian tourist attraction they were visiting all the way over there, no?

Cambodian tourist attraction for the Chinese? - a casino???

[drbeach]

59 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

This is good news as Vietnam Airlines usually operates regular flights from Cambodia to the international hubs of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh linking with long haul worldwide flights rather than Bangkok. Maybe ex-pats and stranded tourists here in Cambodia may at last be able to return home earlier than those locked down in draconian Thailand! No doubt there will be public health restrictions but it is a good start! The border with Thailand is still CLOSED.

Indeed Thailand has been way too draconian.

 

Of course it's possible to fly out of Cambodia and transit via Vietnam (or several other countries like South Korea) rather than Thailand. It's not 1989 anymore and Vietnam has caught up quickly to Thailand in terms of destinations served in recent years. While there are more European destinations accessible direct from Thailand, the number of destinations out of Hanoi or HCMC is growing fast. Also, with no more direct flights connecting the USA and Thailand since 2015, visitors traveling from Cambodia back to North America need to catch a connecting flight in Japan, Hong Kong or South Korea and not waste time and money by adding an extra useless stop in Bangkok first.

 

Increasingly, Bangkok's importance as a hub airport will diminish. Already Singapore serves more destinations; really depends where you're going.

[Burma Bill]

1 hour ago, Scouse123 said:

So why does Thailand never mention Cambodia in all their bulletins about travel bubbles?

I am sorry, I have no idea. I live in Cambodia. Perhaps Thailand does not want a mass exodus of tourists and ex-pats etc. from its Amazing and Trusted nation - who knows???

[Scouse123]

6 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

I am sorry, I have no idea. I live in Cambodia. Perhaps Thailand does not want a mass exodus of tourists and ex-pats etc. from its Amazing and Trusted nation - who knows???

 

I wish the two governments would give a straight sensible answer as I am a regular to Cambodia and have important unfinished business down there, as do many others.

 

 

 

 

[dabhand]

11 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

I am sorry, I have no idea. I live in Cambodia. Perhaps Thailand does not want a mass exodus of tourists and ex-pats etc. from its Amazing and Trusted nation - who knows???

The problem is travel to Thailand, not from Thailand.

 

Plenty of reports of regular flights from Thailand by Eva Air, LH and Qatar Airways, to name but a few.

[Burma Bill]

3 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

 

I wish the two governments would give a straight sensible answer as I am a regular to Cambodia and have important unfinished business down there, as do many others.

 

 

 

 

You have my sympathy and as you probably know bars, cafes, clubs, restaurants, shops, banks, pharmacies etc. have always been open. No bans on alcohol, no curfews, no lock-downs and the wearing of face-masks not mandatory. Public health issues regarding the washing of hands and body temperature were in place at most establishments. The only restrictions were on inter provincial and international travel but now we can travel within Cambodia but the border with Thailand is still closed.