The Civil Aviation Authority of Viet Nam (CAAV) has just asked airlines and airports to facilitate those who are getting stranded in Ho Chi Minh City, the largest COVID-19 epicentre in Viet Nam for the time being, and other southern provinces, to make by-air comebacks to their hometowns.

Each passenger must hold a certificate proving a negative test for COVID-19 via the RT-PCR method within 3 days or a negative rapid test result. (Photo: PHUONG UYEN)

Accordingly, in line with instructions to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Transport, provinces and cities across the country shall create all favourable conditions to repatriate citizens, including workers, from Ho Chi Minh City and other southern localities, with focus on ensuring the strict practice of COVID-10 prevention and control measures.

The CAAV requires Vietnamese airlines to work with localities and authorised organizations to plan flights from Tan Son Nhat Airport and southern regional ones to the repatriated people’s hometowns. In particular, the flight organisation plan must be approved by the receiving localities, including the number of passengers, the itinerary from the airport to the receiving place, the itinerary monitoring measures.

In addition, each passenger must hold a certificate proving a negative test for COVID-19 via the RT-PCR method within 3 days or a negative rapid test result.

Flight costs is set in line with the signed agreement between the locality with the airline or directly between the airline and the people in need on the basis of the domestic transportation price frames. Airports Corporation of Viet Nam and the Van Don International Airport is responsible for organising SARS-CoV-2 rapid testing points at airports in Southern Viet Nam.

Check-in areas, waiting rooms for departure points and baggage claim sites must be placed  separately for each flight to ensure the practice of COVID-19prevention and control, and all of these site shall be disinfected after the flight.

Airport authorities are in charge of closely monitoring the implementation of flights, ensuring the implementation of pandemic prevention and control in accordance with the regulations of the Ministry of Health.

Reporting by PHUONG UYEN- Translating by A.T