Vietnam to end COVID curbs on international flights

Southeast Asian country says it will lift curbs on flights with all markets starting February 15

Vietnam will remove its COVID-19 restrictions on international passenger flights with all markets starting February 15, with no limitation on the number of flights, the state-run Tuoi Tre newspaper reported on Sunday.

The Southeast Asian country imposed tight border controls at the start of the pandemic to keep out COVID-19, with some initial success, but that dealt a blow to its burgeoning tourism sector which accounted for about 10 percent of gross domestic product.

“Vietnam will lift restrictions on international flights starting February 15. The frequency of flights will be restored to pre-pandemic level,” Tuoi Tre said, citing Dinh Viet Son, deputy director of the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam.

Vietnam has already informed its partners about that new policy and only China has not yet agreed to resume commercial flights with Vietnam, Son was quoted as saying.

Vietnam had already begun gradually resuming international flights with 15 markets from the beginning of this year while easing quarantine requirements, with vaccinated passengers now needing just three days of self-isolation.

The Southeast Asian country has recorded nearly 2.5 million COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began and approximately 39,000 deaths. Nearly 98 per cent of its 98 million people have received at least two vaccine doses, official data showed.SOURCE: REUTERS