CAAV raises COVID-19 warning to highest level at airports

Hanoi (VNA) – The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) late February 7 issued a directive on intensifying urgent COVID-19 prevention and quarantine measures at airports since travel demands have increased for the Lunar New Year holiday while the COVID-19 situation becomes more complicated.

As many airport staff members were tested positive with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including the latest cases at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, the CAAV ordered airport authorities, the Airports Corporation of Vietnam, the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation, Vietnam Airlines Corporation, Tan Son Nhat International Airport, domestic airlines and other firms in the aviation industry to strictly follow prevention measures and instructions from the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Transport and the CAAV.

The CAAV asked aviation businesses and authorities to raise the COVID-19 warning status to the highest level, particularly at airports and flight control facilities.

Staff members must stay vigilant against the pandemic, and carry out prevention measures as requested by the authority, the directive said, adding both aviation staff and passengers must wear face masks properly, wash hands with soap or use the alcohol-based hand sanitiser that contains at least 60 percent of alcohol.

Besides, any passenger with abnormal symptoms must be reported to medical authorities while equipment and high-risk areas at airports must be constantly disinfected to prevent contamination, the CAAV said.

All domestic airlines need to require passengers to obey COVID-19 prevention rules before and during boarding, along with implementing the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control’s direction on quarantine for flight crew.

Furthermore, they are asked to pen measures to handle violations of quarantine rules, and prevent the spread of virus to the community through flight crews.

Vietnam logged four locally-transmitted COVID-19 infections in Ho Chi Minh City in the past 12 hours as of 6am on February 8. All the new patients are baggage handlers at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, and work in the same team with Patient 1,979 who was confirmed positive with the coronavirus over the weekend.

The country has recorded 2,005 SARS-CoV-2 infections so far. Of the total, 1,115 are locally-transmitted cases, with 422 detected since the latest coronavirus outbreak hit the nation on January 27./.