HÀ NỘI — Deputy Minister of Health Đỗ Xuân Tuyên on Sunday inspected prevention and control work against COVID-19 at Hà Nội-based Nội Bài International Airport.

A representative of the airport said medical workers have taken 683 samples from passengers for testing, doubling the initial estimate. This work ran until midnight on March 15 with 700 more samples taken.
The customs branch at the Nội Bài international border gate has increased staff to facilitate customs clearance and reduce congestion at luggage claim areas.
According to Deputy Minister of Transport Lê Anh Tuấn, the fact that passengers transit through many countries makes it difficult to forecast the number of European visitors to Việt Nam.
Tuyên, who is also deputy head of the national steering committee for COVID-19 prevention and control, said the committee has sent notices to ministries of national defence, public security, foreign affairs, and transport as well as People’s Committees of centrally-run cities and provinces about the implementation of quarantine measures for people entering the country.
He urged the transport ministry to quickly update the number of visitors from epidemic-hit nations to direct flights to land at different airports like Vân Đồn in the north, Chu Lai in the central region and Cần Thơ in the south. 
If possible, it is necessary to carry out medical quarantine and declarations when passengers are still on board, he said.
The military forces are ready to transfer passengers to concentrated quarantining areas as regulated, he added. — VNS