'Mixed Variant' Vietnam Suspends Entry to Hanoi Following Ho Chi Minh

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Vietnam, where a mixed variant virus combining the Indian and UK variants was discovered, will temporarily suspend entry through the capital Hanoi starting from the 1st of next month.

According to Vietnamese health authorities on the 31st, the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control and the Ministry of Transport have suspended international arrivals through Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi from the 1st to the 7th of next month. Foreign arrivals at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City have also been suspended until the 14th of next month.

The Vietnamese government has been implementing strong quarantine measures daily as the spread of COVID-19 intensifies.

Ho Chi Minh City has banned gatherings of more than 10 people for fifteen days starting today. They are also considering strengthening the standard to more than 5 people. Residents are urged to refrain from going out as much as possible and maintain a minimum distance of 6 feet (1.8m).

Since the 28th, restaurants, beauty salons, and spas have been ordered to close, and access to museums and parks has been prohibited.

The capital Hanoi has banned the operation of food and beverage establishments such as restaurants and cafes, as well as service facilities like beauty salons and barbershops, and prohibited large gatherings since the 25th.

As the fourth wave of local infections spreads rapidly in Vietnam, more than half of the cumulative confirmed cases have occurred in the past month. According to the international statistics site Our World in Data, as of the 26th, the rate of at least one vaccine dose is only 1.0%, and the rate of two doses is just 0.02%.

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