Vietnam has begun piloting its new quarantine regulation for international arrivals who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with the landing of nearly 300 Vietnamese citizens from Japan.

A flight carrying 297 Vietnamese residents from Japan landed at Van Don International Airport in the northern province of Quang Ninh on Saturday afternoon.

The passengers, who have received two shots of COVID-19 vaccine, are required to undergo a seven-day quarantine period at Novotel Ha Long Bay Hotel following their arrival.

The flight marked the beginning of Vietnam’s pilot plan to shorten the mandatory quarantine period for fully vaccinated international arrivals, said Phan Ngoc Sau, director of Van Don airport.

A similar flight is expected to bring Vietnamese citizens from the U.S. to Van Don on September 12, Sau added.

Passengers must meet certain requirements in order to be eligible for the new quarantine regulation.

They must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with the final shot taken within the period of 14 days to 12 months before their entry.

They must also test negative for the novel coronavirus via real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) methods within 72 hours prior to their arrival.

The tests must be done by authorized facilities.

To minimize the risk of transmission, Van Don airport managers have intensified pandemic prevention and control measures.

International travelers must have their body temperature measured and file health declarations upon their arrival, while their immigration procedures are carried out in a separate area.

The airport has welcomed 45,872 passengers including Vietnamese citizens and foreign experts since the beginning of this year.

Vietnam has been requiring all international arrivals to quarantine for 14 days and have their health monitored for another 14 days.

In early August, the Ministry of Health announced its decision to shorten the quarantine period for international arrivals who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to seven days.

Vietnam had documented 511,170 COVID-19 cases as of Sunday morning, with 282,516 recoveries and 12,793 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.

The country has recorded 506,912 local infections in 62 out of 63 provinces and cities since the fourth wave started on April 27.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!