Enterprises not to take their eye off Covid-19 ball during Tet holidays

By Anh Tu, Vien Thong February 6, 2021 | 10:13 pm PT

A Vietnam Airlines flight attendant wearing protective suit on a special flight in March 2020. Photo courtesy of Vietnam Airlines.

Many companies have mandated that employees who visit pandemic-hit places during Tet need to self-quarantine themselves at home for 21 days upon return.

Most require their employees to make health declarations and report their itinerary during Tet, the Lunar New Year holiday, before returning to work.

Some even require them to report on their health status on a daily basis during Tet, Vietnam's biggest and most important holiday.

An international express delivery company in HCMC has asked its employees to refrain from traveling during Tet, which falls from February 10-16.

They have been working from home since January 1, and managers and delivery staff who cannot do so have to comply with all Covid-19 prevention measures such as wearing face masks and gloves while working.

An employee of a South Korean finance company, Tuyen, had to cancel her flight to her hometown in the north. "I am going to spend my Tet holiday in HCMC for the first time and will return to my hometown when the pandemic is under control.

"Though I am sad about not being able to go home, I think it is the best decision to ensure my safety."

Many families who work in the southern have decided to cancel their train and flight tickets.

The Vietnam Railway Corporation has canceled a number of trains since many people who had booked on them have canceled or altered them amid fears of a resurgent Covid-19.

Vietnam Airlines has strengthened pandemic prevention measures on flights like providing passengers with antibacterial hand wipes and disinfecting all aircraft. Passengers must go through pre-boarding temperature checks, make health declarations, wear masks, and maintain a distance from other passengers while boarding.

Vietnam has registered 402 domestic Covid-19 cases since January 28 and infections have so far spread to 12 cities and provinces, including 293 in Hai Duong and 47 in its neighbor Quang Ninh.