Focus on Arts and Ecology

Officials are working to figure out how to welcome vaccinated visitors.

VnExpress reports that Vietnam will trial a vaccine passport program in Quang Ninh Province starting in July. Under this pilot initiative, foreign entrants who are fully vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19 and test negative for the virus upon arrival would only have to stay at centralized quarantine for seven days, as opposed to the current 21 days.

They would then have to undergo another seven days in self-isolation. The program will go through Van Don International Airport in the province, and the trial will last for all of July. Individuals in question must have gotten their final vaccine shot at least 14 days prior to entry.

Accepted vaccines include any approved by the World Health Organization, the US Centers for Disease Control, the European Medicines Agency, or Vietnam's Ministry of Health.

People who have recovered from COVID-19, meanwhile, must provide a certificate from a qualified organization in the country where they were treated, and the discharge date must be within 12 month prior to the Vietnam entry date.

All entrants under this trial must declare where they will stay 36 hours in advance, and have a negative COVID-19 test 72 hours before leaving their departure country. However, it is not clear what kind of flights will be available for passengers wishing to take advantage of this pilot program, as inbound commercial flights remain suspended.

Meanwhile, officials in Kien Giang Province hope to vaccinate the entire population of Phu Quoc by the end of the year in order to begin welcoming vaccinated international visitors to the popular tourist destination. Roughly 220,000 vaccine doses will be needed to carry this out.

[Top photo via Pxhere]

Despite Vietnam’s many successes in responding to the current global pandemic, the resulting economic slump has left many with significant challenges. Saigoneer is no exception.

Saigoneer’s content has and always will be available for free, but these trying times have led us to request your assistance in making sure we can continue to bring the world unique stories from Vietnam that would otherwise go overlooked. We’ve come a long way over the last seven years, featuring quirky illustrations, deep-dives into Vietnamese history and nuanced cultural observations read by millions around the world.

If you have enjoyed our work and believe that Saigoneer’s voice is an important one to have, please consider supporting us. Pledge any amount you’re comfortable with in the form of a one-time or recurring donation so we can continue bringing you the stories you love to read.

You can make your donation securely by clicking the "Support Saigoneer" link below and pay via Stripe, Paypal, Apple Pay or Google Wallet. Recurring donations can be canceled at any time.

Thank you for your readership during these past years. We will overcome this difficult time together.