Those visiting Vietnam through Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport no longer need to show proof of their Covid-19 status. After evaluating the Covid-19 situation in the country as well as Vietnam’s decision to fully reopen the country to foreign tourists last month, the city’s health department announced the new regulation, which took effect on Monday.
According to the Vn Express, airlines are already requesting passengers to present a negative test result before to departure, according to the department. As a result, there is no need to double-check that certificate upon arrival, it stated.
People arriving at Tan Son Nhat Airport are now divided into two groups: those who have completed a medical statement and those who have not.
Passengers who have a health declaration QR code can go to the immigration desk, while those who do not will be sent to a different lane to finish the process.
The decision also comes as Tan Son Nhat has been experiencing chronic overcrowding in recent months, with the number of travelers travelling through the airport rapidly growing since the nation removed Covid restrictions on air travel on March 15.
Approximately 40 international aircraft arrive at the airport each day, carrying up to 4,500 travelers to Vietnam. Foreign visitors may now travel freely without needing to plan package trips since Vietnam now permits quarantine-free admission. Meanwhile, Incheon International Airport in South Korea has asked the government to allow PCR-free arrivals. The request was made in expectation of in-bound tourists returning to pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year, according to a Korea Times story.
The Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) has proposed to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport that required PCR testing for arrivals be replaced with quick antigen tests, or that testing be mandated only for individuals exhibiting symptoms or arriving from high-risk zones. Currently, all arriving travellers with a complete immunization history must do a PCR test on their first day of arrival and a fast test six to seven days afterwards.
Those who break these rules face a maximum of one year in jail or a fine of ten million won. The PCR test exemption, according to airport officials, might help the country’s tourist sector recover from the pandemic’s economic impacts. South Korean airlines fly to 59 different countries from Incheon International Airport. PCR testing requirements for overseas arrivals have been eliminated in 39 countries, including European nations.
In July, when the summer vacation season begins, the IIAC predicts that the country’s travel recovery will be 41% of the pre-pandemic daily average of 194,986. It predicts that by the end of the year, the figure will be between 70% and 80% of pre-pandemic levels. The IIAC also advocated extending the arrivals curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
