Only expats with urgent needs could be repatriated before Lunar New Year

VGP – Only Vietnamese expats with seriously urgent needs would be repatriated on rescue flights from now to the Lunar New Year festival, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang told a room of reporters Thursday.

January 14, 2021 5:20 PM GMT+7

A detailed plan for such rescue flights is being developed by several ministries in accordance with regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control as well as the country’s domestic quarantine capacity, Hang said.

Earlier, on January 11, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc requested subordinate levels to minimize inbound flights until the Lunar New Year holiday due to the emergence of new COVID-19 variants that are up to 70% more transmissible in many countries.

Gov’t limits inbound flights amid fear of new COVID-19 variants

All inbound flights, if any, must be agreed upon by four ministries, namely the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Transport, before reporting to the Government chief for consideration and decision.

So far, Viet Nam has conducted 299 flights to bring home over 80,000 Vietnamese citizens from 60 foreign countries and territories, according to Hang./.

By Khanh Phuong

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