The health examination area for foreigners at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi

The MoET said if students really need to return, they must make honest health declarations and abide by quarantine regulations as regulated by the Ministry of Health and other authorised agencies in Vietnam.

If they show symptoms of a fever, cough or shortness of breath, they need to actively self-quarantine and liaise with their nearest medical establishment immediately to receive a check-up and treatment, according to the announcement.

Additionally, the MoET asked overseas students to fully comply with regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control in their host countries, as well as recommendations made by Vietnamese embassies.

It called on the students to stay calm and united, support one another and share knowledge about prevention measures while avoiding spreading unverified information.

They should also stay at home, not go to public places unless really necessary, and keep a close watch on their school schedules so their studies won’t be interrupted, the MoET said.

Overseas students seeking help can contact Vietnam’s representative agencies in their host countries, the expatriate protection hotline (+84) 981 84 84 84, or the ministry’s department for international cooperation at No. 35 Dai Co Viet street, Hanoi, via phone numbers (+84) 24 3869 5144 and (+84) 365 12 74 07, or email htqt@moet.gov.vn./.

No Vietnamese students in Japan positive for SARS-CoV-2

People in Tokyo wear face masks to prevent the spread of the COVID-19

No Vietnamese students in Japan have been infected with the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, said an official from the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan.

Talking to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)’s reporters in Japan, Vu Thi Lien Huong, who is in charge of the education division in the embassy, said almost all Vietnamese students have been aware of the danger of COVID-19, and strictly implemented countermeasures, as well as recommendations from the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training to effectively prevent the epidemic and protect their health.

The division has maintained a hotline to receive information and answer questions related to the Vietnamese government’s policies for students.

According to Huong, students who studying in Japan under the Project for Human Resource Development Scholarship by Japanese Grant Aid (JDS) were requested to avoid traveling to epidemic-hit areas and not bewildered or believe in false rumors.

Vietnamese students often share relevant information and update health status via social networks, Huong said, adding that the COVID-19 epidemic has so far not seriously affected Vietnamese students in the country.

According to statistics of the Immigration Services Agency (ISA) under the Japanese Ministry of Justice, the total number of Vietnamese students in the country reached 82,266 by December 2019.

In a related move, from March 19, foreign apprentices in Japan are allowed to extend their stay in Japan up to four months if they cannot take the skill exam to extend their visas because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Previously, the Japanese government allowed foreign apprentices to continue to stay in the country in case their visas have expired and they could not return home due to the disease.

The representative office of Vietnam Airlines in Tokyo said the national flag carrier will suspend flights between Vietnam and Japan from March 23 until the end of April.

Meanwhile, Minister-Counsellor at the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia Nguyen Quynh Mai said the embassy has been taking many measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 in the Vietnamese community in the country.

The embassy has used all information channels of the Vietnamese community to directly provide relevant information for Vietnamese expats living, working and studying in Russia, she stressed.

A disease response task division was established to give advises to the agency’s officials on necessary measures to cope with the disease, Mai added.

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