Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City introduced a luggage sanitizing system on Tuesday to mitigate the risk of spreading the COVID-19 pathogen from the airport staffers to passengers’ belongings.

The baggage of all arriving and departing passengers at the domestic terminal will be put through the disinfection system, airport managers said.

This measure was introduced after five baggage handlers who are employees of the Vietnam Airport Ground Services Company Limited (VIAGS) and work at Tan Son Nhat.

A representative of the airport confirmed that it would function normally from Tuesday despite the infections.

However, the passenger volume at the airport on Tuesday significantly dropped as customers rescheduled their flights to earlier dates amid new COVID-19 outbreaks in Ho Chi Minh City.

Tan Son Nhat Airport managers have raised their COVID-19 prevention protocols to the highest level.

The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), Tan Son Nhat’s managing body, has also sent a written request to reinforce epidemic prevention, security as well as fire safety during the Lunar New Year holiday, which is due on Friday. 

As per the request, airport employees are ordered not to come in contact with flight crews, aircraft, and passengers while not on assigned duty.

The ACV also called on airports to uphold epidemic prevention during and after the Lunar New Year holiday.

The Ministry of Health announced 16 local infections on Tuesday and one case on Wednesday morning, increasing the COVID-19 tally to 2,070.

The risk of further community spread stays extremely high in Ho Chi Minh City because the virus has hit Tan Son Nhat International Airport, with the source of infection still unknown, health authorities said.

The whole country is on high alert as droves of people are flocking back to their hometowns from urban centers for the Lunar New Year holiday.

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