A Vietnam Airlines aircraft is disinfected.

He told the Vietnam News Agency that while the carrier announced on March 14 morning that it would suspend carrying passengers from Europe to Vietnam, later the same day, the Vietnamese Health Ministry provided Vietnam Airlines with medical equipment to serve epidemic prevention, hence the carrier decided to transport Vietnamese nationals in Europe who want to return to Vietnam.

At present, Vietnam Airlines is the only Vietnamese carrier operating flights between Vietnam and Europe, which is a route with important significance in terms of economics, politics and diplomacy.

Vietnam Airlines is conducting temperature checks on all passengers before they board flights from Europe, and give face masks to all passengers for use throughout the flights. All international flights to Vietnam and flights with passengers showing abnormal health signs are disinfected. In addition, all passengers are asked to refrain from moving or talking during flights.

On domestic flights, the carrier also cleans up and disinfects aircraft, focusing on areas where passengers tend to touch, sterilize earphones and ground service equipment. The carrier also continues implementing earlier disease preventive measures such as limiting multi-use objects, equipping the crew and passengers with face masks and hand sanitisers, and adjusting cabin temperature up to 26 degrees Celcius.

Earlier, at the meeting of the Government’s standing board on COVID-19 prevention and control, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc assigned the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Public Security and Health to temporarily deny entry of foreign visitors who come from or transit Schengen countries and the UK within 14 days prior to their intended arrival in Vietnam, and suspend the grant of on-arrival visas at border gates.

The travel ban is effective for 30 days as from 12:00 on March 15, and is not applied to those who arrive on diplomatic or official purposes.

Foreign experts, managers and skilled workers must undergo medical checks at the point of entry and undertake appropriate epidemic preventive measures at the workplaces and accommodations in line with requirements.

Agencies are assigned to consider and decide the temporary suspension of granting tourist visas to visitors from each state of the US depending on the developments of the epidemic in the US.

Vietnamese embassies abroad should advise Vietnamese students and nationals not to return to Vietnam during the time of epidemic. In case they really need to return to Vietnam, they must abide to regulations on quarantine./.VNA