Nearly 600 foreign experts quarantined in northern Vietnam

By Nguyen Quy   April 23, 2020 | 05:58 am PT
Nearly 600 foreign experts quarantined in northern Vietnam
A medical worker checks body temperature of a truck driver in Bac Ninh Province, northern Vietnam, April 2020. Photo courtesy of Bac Ninh Newspaper.
Bac Ninh and Quang Ninh have quarantined 598 Chinese and South Korean experts on arrival over the last two days.

An Asiana Airlines flight carrying 240 South Korean experts of LG Electronics landed at the Van Don Airport in the northern province of Quang Ninh Thursday.

All South Koreans carried official Covid-19 negative certifications issued by competent authorities of the South Korean government, approved by the Vietnamese government.

This was the seventh flight carrying South Korean engineers to Vietnam for work under an agreement between the governments of both countries.

All LG engineers were required to submit health declarations and transferred to facilities for 14-day quarantine.

On Wednesday, a group of Chinese specialists had entered the country via the Huu Nghi border gate in the northern mountainous province of Lang Son. They also submitted health declarations and valid Covid-19 negative certificates, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

The Chinese experts were taken to Bac Ninh Province, around two hours from Lang Son, in specialized cars - and quarantined at two hotels.

The group had come to work for the Goertek Vina Company, a joint venture of China and South Korea, which manufactures headphones, accessories and other products at the Que Vo Industrial Park in Bac Ninh.

Their samples would be tested for the first time on the fourth day of their quarantine and the second time on the 13th day.

If they test Covid-19 negative both times, they will be issued with a certificate of quarantine completion.

Earlier, authorities in Thanh Hoa and Quang Ninh provinces had quarantined over 500 foreign specialists, including 400 South Korean experts as they entered the country for work.

Starting March 22, Vietnam suspended entry for all foreign nationals, including those of Vietnamese origin and family members with visa waivers.

Only Vietnamese nationals and foreigners carrying diplomatic and official passports such as business managers, experts and high-skilled workers are allowed to enter the country at this time, and all entrants will be quarantined for 14 days.

One of the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic is that 24,410 foreigners have not been able to enter the country to work, according to data from the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs in late March. These include 18,999 Chinese, 2,826 South Koreans, and 2,585 citizens from other countries and territories, including experts, skilled workers and managers.

A survey by the ministry found 34 cities and provinces want to bring back over 9,000 foreigners, mostly Chinese and South Koreans.

As of Thursday, Vietnam has gone through a week without a new infection. Of its 268 cases, only 44 are still active and the rest have been discharged.

 
 
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