Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport, HCM City. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Civil Aviation Authority of Việt Nam has proposed halting all flights, including repatriation flights, to and from 10 African countries, amid fears over the Omicron coronavirus variant.

The aviation authority has requested the transport ministry to report to the Prime Minister and seek permission to halt flights from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Angola and Zambia, as well as deny entries for any passengers with a travel history through these 10 nations within 30 days prior to arrival in Việt Nam.

The aviation authority also wants the transport ministry to consult with the health ministry for specific instructions on medical control measures for passengers coming from some countries where cases of Omicron variant have appeared such as South Korea or Japan; proposes the health ministry to strengthen medical isolation procedures; and ensure that all foreign arrivals from countries with reports of Omicron undergo medical isolation upon entry into Việt Nam.

The transport ministry is also urged to work with the public security ministry on the stringent management of all entries into Việt Nam, especially people who have entered Việt Nam through air borders from countries with the Omicron variant.

Việt Nam so far has not detected any COVID-19 case with the new variant that has caused global concerns in recent days.

The country is still keeping its border mostly sealed against most foreign arrivals in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but has allowed in a limited number of flights carrying business executives, diplomats, highly skilled workers, or repatriated Vietnamese citizens from overseas.

In November, Việt Nam has started to receive international tourists on a pilot basis to select popular destinations like Phú Quốc (Kiên Giang) or Đà Nẵng, and Khánh Hoà under the ‘Live Fully in Việt Nam’ campaign — VNS