TIẾNG VIỆT Vietnam temporarily bans travelers from 27 European countries
Coronavirus is spreading rapidly in Europe. As of March 14, Italy reports 17,660 infected cases and 1,266 deaths. Photo: Alberto Pizzoli | AFP | Getty Images
From March 15, travelers from or passing 26 European countries of the region and the UK are not allowed to enter Vietnam. This is among a prompt actions of Vietnamese government to prevent coronavirus.
Vietnam also suspends issuing visas on arrivals to travelers from all countries. The decision takes effect 30 days from March 15, 2020 and do not apply to people on entry for diplomatic and official purposes.
Foreign entrants, who are experts, business managers, highly skilled workers will be subject to medical screening upon their arrival and additional preventive measures at their places of residence and work in accordance with the regulations.
Visitors coming from or through the Schengen area, the U.K., China, South Korea and Iran will be compulsorily tested for novel coronavirus infection from Saturday, VnExpress cited information from the National Steering Committee for the Prevention and Control of Covid-19.
The Schengen area including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.
Ho Chi Minh City closes massage salons, karaoke bars, beer clubs in two weeks
The government of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's biggest city, approved the proposal of the city's Department of Culture and Sport to ask local businesses to have measures to limit the risk of spreading the disease in the community.
The city government ordered temporary shutdown of cinemas, massage salons, bars, karaoke bars, beer clubs and discotheques entire the city in two weeks, taking effect from Sunday, March 15.
Earlier, the city's District 1 had decided the same measure to prevent the virus.
The decision came after Ministry of Health reported six new cases in just a day of Saturday, raising total infected cases to 53. Of the new patients, several were found in Ho Chi Minh City.
As of Saturday, the world has reported 148,306 cases, with 5,539 deaths. Italy has the most infected cases in Europe. The country has recorded its highest one-day death toll yet from cases of the new coronavirus, according to official data.
There were 250 deaths recorded over the past 24 hours, taking the total to 1,266, with 17,660 infections overall, a rise of 2,547 since Thursday evening.
► Vietnam exempts South Korean engineers from centralized quarantine
► Visa exemption for 8 European countries to be halted since March 12
