Ho Chi Minh City will strengthen the measurements of COVID-19 prevention during the Lunar New Year.

Against the risk of XBB.1.5 penetration, new Omicron subvariant, Tang Chi Thuong, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, issued the official document on COVID-19 prevention and control during the Lunar New Year 2023.

At Tan Son Nhat airport

The HCMC Department of Health designated the Center for Disease Control to be on duty 24/7, using remote body temperature monitor.

People with suspected symptoms will be transported to a temporary quarantine area for a check-up and COVID-19 test. If the rapid test result is negative, passengers will be allowed to continue with the immigration process and instructed to self-monitor at the hotel.

If the test results are positive, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention will work with other departments to accelerate the patient’s immigration procedures, then transfer the patient to the HCMC Hospital for Tropical Diseases to collect samples for RT-PCR test.

At the sea ports

The Center for Disease Control will be on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week to collect data on inbound ships.

When there is a crew member on board having COVID-19 symptoms, a quick test will be done. If the result is negative, they can continue to work normally and are instructed to self-monitor at the ship. In case the test result is positive with mild symptoms, or no symptoms, they will be isolated at the ship. With a positive result and severe symptoms, they will be transferred to the HCMC Hospital for Tropical Diseases for treatment and RT-PCR testing.

Some regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control during the Lunar New Year

The HCMC Department of Health’s requirements:

• Organizers of events with big crowds follow requirements for COVID-19 prevention and management.
• Encourage COVID-19 vaccination, including during Tet holidays.
• Keep the Field Hospital No.13 ready for resumption within 24 hours.
• All hospitals in the city are ready to receive, collect and treat COVID-19 patients, in terms of human resources, facilities, equipment and medicines.
• Enhance the collection, management and treatment of COVID-19 cases.

As forecasted, the number of travelers would rise around the Lunar New Year and important holidays. Therefore, in order to minimize overcrowding, aviation authorities have devised a strategy to expand night flights. 

Tan Son Nhat, Vietnam’s largest and busiest airport, recently announced that it will double night flights to 200 flights per day to ease congestion in the upcoming Tet holiday. There are now 106 flights every night here.

Specifically, from January 5 to February 6, 2023, airlines of Vietnam will be authorized to add 100 more domestic flights connecting Ho Chi Minh City with the 12 tourist attractions such as Hanoi, Phu Yen, Lam Dong, Quang Binh, Hue, Da Nang, etc. between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.

Previously, airlines of Vietnam introduced 20 new domestic flights each day, totaling 3,000 tickets to and from Ho Chi Minh City from January 5 to February 6.

The Lunar New Year falls on January 22 this year. Government of Vietnam has declared a seven-day national vacation from January 20 to January 26. This is the time when millions of migrant workers from big cities come back to their hometowns. A large number of travelers will also visit tourist hotspots.

With 116 million passengers, Vietnam’s aviation industry grew by double digits in 2019. The Vietnam Civil Aviation Administration expects to serve 100 million passengers this year.