The Vietnamese Ministry of Transport has allowed 38 flights on 19 domestic routes, including those connecting such big cities as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Da Nang, to resume operations on Sunday.

The ministry reached an agreement with relevant localities on the flight resumption following a nationwide teleconference chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh on Friday.

Vietnamese airlines will operate 14 return flights between Ho Chi Minh City and other localities, two others from Hanoi, two from Da Nang, and one from Thanh Hoa Province every day on a trial basis from Sunday to October 20.

Passengers will be required to present full vaccination record cards, with the second dose taken at least 14 days and no longer than 12 months before departure, or COVID-19 recovery certificates issued six months before departure time.

In addition, passengers must show negative COVID-19 test certificates issued within 72 hours before boarding time.

Upon arrival, they have to self-monitor their health at home or place of residence for seven days and will be tested for COVID-19 on the second and seventh days.

Passengers will be prevented from boarding the flights if they have such symptoms as a cough, fever, shortness of breath, muscle aches, or a sore throat.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam previously asked airlines to suspend regular domestic routes in July due to the worsening pandemic in the country.

Only cargo services and some passenger flights – primarily for officers performing public duties, people serving the fight against COVID-19, and those who have got approval from local authorities to travel – are currently operating.

Speaking at Friday’s meeting, Deputy PM Thanh said the resumption of flights is necessary to gradually restore socio-economic development.

Vietnam has found 827,033 community transmissions in 62 out of its 63 provinces and cities since the fourth – and worst – virus wave emerged on April 27.

Ho Chi Minh City has been hit the hardest with 407,399 patients, followed by Binh Duong Province with 220,480, Dong Nai Province with 53,752, Long An Province with 33,092, Tien Giang Province with 14,433, Dong Thap Province with 8,539, and Khanh Hoa Province with 8,152.

Infection rates have slowed down in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, and the localities that agreed to the flight resumption in recent times.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic first struck the country early last year, the national tally has reached 831,643 patients, including 759,482 recoveries and 20,337 deaths.

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