The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism is seeking to enforce stricter safety measures to prevent the novel coronavirus from spreading into the community as the epidemic has made unpredictable developments in recent times.

In a written notice to hospitality businesses offering paid quarantine services for international entrants, the department urged these facilities to prepare for actions to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19, plus quarantining and handling any suspected infection cases.

Facilities in the tourism sector are required to follow the official safety guidelines and get the latest updates on the epidemic on the official website of the General Department of Preventive Medicine at http://vncdc.gov.vn.

Lodging service providers are also ordered to follow the instructions of the national government, the Ministry of Health, and local authorities on preventing and controlling the spread of the pandemic.

According to Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, travel firms are still welcoming visitors on their organized tours as usual.

However, they must ensure adherence to the health ministry’s guidelines on COVID-19 prevention and control.

Earlier this week, the southern metropolis detected new cases of COVID-19, which broke Vietnam’s streak of 88 days without any community transmission.

The incident has posed a major threat to the city’s tourism sector as it was poised to catch up with the year-end surge in travel demand.

Many tour operators reported that they are closely monitoring customers’ reaction to prepare for scheduled tours that are about to begin.

For the moment, these enterprises are sticking to their planned tours while staying vigilant against the COVID-19 development to sustain their business in a 'new normal' reality.

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