The first flight in Vietnam with a pilot “vaccine passport” landed at Van Don airport in Quang Ninh province over the weekend on September 4.
Passengers wait to get their luggage after arriving at Van Don Airport in Quang Ninh Province on a flight from Japan, September 4, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Binh Minh
On the afternoon of September 4, 2021 local time, a flight carrying Vietnamese citizens from Japan landed safely at Van Don International Airport in Quang Ninh province, which is located in northern Vietnam. “All passengers had received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, with the second dose administered at least 14 days but no more than 12 months prior to entry date. They also provided proof of negative Covid tests using RT-PCR method validated by authorities in the host country 72 hours before departure.” according to Economic Times Online. This is the first flight to test the Ministry of Health of Vietnam’s 7-day medical isolation program.
After arriving at the Van Don Airport, still follow this online newspaper, all passengers were transported to the Novotel Ha Long Hotel to undergo a seven-day quarantine instead of the usual 14 days, depending on the variant strain of Covid-19 from which the passenger is leaving.
What opportunities does a pilot flight “vaccine passport” open up?
Vietnam has been actively cooperating, contributing to the international community’s joint efforts in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic while also attempting to recover the economy. One of Vietnam’s solutions to solve these two problems is applying for a “vaccine passport.”
In fact, the vaccine passport has previously been used in many different countries; it provides authentication information that can be used to prove that a person has received sufficient vaccinations against COVID-19, two stitches by manufacturer’s regulations, and state management agencies. It could take the form of a certificate or a card, or it could be a technology app…
The pilot “vaccine passport” flights that Vietnam is conducting in Van Don, Quang Ninh is a way to help protect passengers and people from the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic, thereby limiting disease spread in the community.
According to Mr. Pham Ngoc Sau, Director of Van Don International Airport, stated that: “Flights bringing international passengers back to Vietnam with the application of a 7-day medical isolation pilot model will thereby create the premise for further expansion to those with real travel needs, towards gradually restore domestic flight routes, resume trade when the epidemic is gradually controlled.”
It can be seen that on September 4, when Van Don international airport in Quang Ninh welcomed the first flight to pilot vaccine passports, it was one of the positive signals for the Vietnamese aviation market, opening up the prospect of gradually restoring flight routes, assisting the aviation industry and airlines in Vietnam to return to operation gradually. This is a good plan for passenger travel and movement, resume trade when the epidemic is under control, suitable for aviation in Vietnam and other economic sectors, boosting the economy, promoting the resumption of some industries, including the aviation industry itself and others such as tourism.
To prepare for the widespread use of the vaccine passport, after the first pilot flights, the Government and Quang Ninh province will evaluate and learn from experience. On September 12, Van Don airport is expected to welcome the next flight to bring citizens back from the US.
