Passengers return from the US with "vaccine passport". Photo: VNA

345 Vietnamese citizens fully vaccinated in the US arrived at the Van Don Airport in the northern province of Quang Ninh in two flights on Sep. 12, reported VnExpress.

The first flight landed at 11:18 a.m., carrying 161 passengers, the other one arrived about one hour later, with 184 passengers on board.

All passengers on the flights had already been fully vaccinated and had negative RT-PCR test results for Covid-19 validated by authorities in the host country 72 hours before departure, therefore meeting the Health Ministry criteria outlined in the vaccine passport program.

They will stay in concentrated medical quarantine for seven days and self-quarantine at their accommodations for another week.

All of them, deemed at low risks for Covid-19 infections, had to undergo procedures similar to normal repatriation flights like body temperature checks, submission of health declarations, wearing masks and keeping a safe distance at all times. All luggage, carry-on or checked, were sterilised.

They were also divided into groups of old people, the disabled, pregnant women, children under 12 and other classifications to speed up customs procedures at the airport, said airport director Pham Ngoc Sau.

Stringent procedures have been rolled out at the airport to avoid cross-infection amongst the passengers and the staff.

Vietnamese passengers undergo immigration procedures at the Van Don Airport, Quang Ninh Province, Sept. 12, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/ Binh Minh

Van Don airport to date has successfully welcomed three flights in the pilot “vaccine passport” programme approved by the Government.

The flights help the Government consider, assess and gain experience before the full implementation of the programme, said Sau.

The pilot of seven-day quarantine policy will serve as the foundation to expand to more people with real travel demands, like Vietnamese citizens overseas, foreign businessmen and experts, Sau said, adding that with this, more domestic flights could resume when the outbreak is brought under control.

It is in line with gradual adaptation to the new normal, as both goals of pandemic control and stimulation of socio-economic activities are carried out.

Van Don is working to complete procedures to earn the Airports Council International’s Airport Health Accreditation (AHA), which provides airports with an assessment of how aligned their health measures are with international standards.

Vietnam closed its borders and canceled all international flights in March last year. Only Vietnamese repatriates, foreign experts, diplomats, investors, students and highly-skilled workers have been allowed in since with stringent quarantine requirements.

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