Ministry proposes suspension of inbound flights to prevent new COVID-19 variant
Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long has submitted a report to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, proposing that inbound flights should be suspended or limited from countries and territories where new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus are found.
Illegal immigrants sent to quarantine in Quang Binh (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Minister of Health Nguyen ThanhLong has submitted a report to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, proposing that inbound flights should be suspended or limited fromcountries and territories where new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus are found.
In the report, the minister noted that 34 countries had announcedthe detection of new COVID-19 variants as of January 3.
On December 18, 2020, the World Health Organisation reportedthat a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus was found in the UK, which is said to be70 percent more transmissible than the old one. It is spreading to othercountries rapidly.
So far, more than 40 countries territories have restrictedtravel from/to the UK and other countries that have reported cases with thevirus variant.
Germany and the Netherlands have been the first to close theborder with the UK, while France has requested travellers to take quarantineand show proof that they have been tested negative for SARS-CoV-2.
Meanwhile, Spain and Turkey have banned immigrants from theUK until the end of January. The US and the rest of Europe have also reducedthe number of flights to the UK.
Japan has announced the ban of all entries until the end ofthis month, while Indonesia has refused to receive travellers from the UK.
In Vietnam, Patient 1,435 returning home from Britain and quarantinedin the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh upon arrival on December 22 was confirmedto be infected with the new virus strain.
So far, Vietnam has reported 1,497 COVID-19 cases, including 693 found in thecommunity./.
Minister and Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung answered questions about the roadmap for reopening the economy following the COVID-19 pandemic and about national digital transformation during a Government press briefing in Hanoi on January 4.
The Ministry of Health (MoH) has negotiated with partners in the UK, the US, Russia, and China about purchasing COVID-19 vaccines, Deputy Minister Truong Quoc Cuong said on January 4.
In contrast to some regional countries, Cambodia has begun easing restrictions imposed for the past six weeks that followed a COVID-19 outbreak last November.
Vietnam recorded three new imported COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours from 6:00pm of January 3, bringing the total number of infections to 1,497, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.
Despite storm-related disruptions and flight delays, the organs were successfully transported via a combination of air and ground travel. All patients are currently stable and recovering well.
The patient, Tieu Viet But, born in 1970 and residing in Binh Tri commune, Binh Son district, the central province of Quang Ngai, was working aboard fishing vessel Qng – 95657TS when the incident occurred at 7:00 am.
All drugs entering hospitals must have a clear origin, so counterfeit drugs are only in the market, not in hospital, affirmed Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan.
To achieve its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2045, Vietnam is prioritising the integration of AI and digital tools into the training of future doctors, said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Viet Nhung, Dean of Medicine at University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam National University (VNU) Hanoi.
Health experts called for collective disease prevention and integrated solutions to achieve zero dengue deaths in the country at an online talk show on June 14.
The PM called for closer, broader, and more effective cooperation with Vietnamese partners, guided by the principles of mutual benefit, joint efforts, shared outcomes, and common development, including promoting stronger public-private partnerships and collaboration with businesses.
Renowned for its expertise in complex surgeries, the hospital has attracted foreign patients seeking treatment for conditions such as kidney and urinary tract stones, urological and gastrointestinal cancers, and male reproductive disorders. Most procedures are performed using advanced techniques, including laparoscopy and robotic surgery. T
Leading Vietnamese companies specialising in respiratory and dermatological treatments, traditional medicine, immune support supplements, and functional foods will have an opportunity to connect with international distributors and secure export deals.
The project aimed to enable early detection and reduce the risk of dangerous complications, targeting patients with chronic diabetes, cardiovascular conditions and metabolic disorders.
A 2023 report by the Vietnam Health Economics Association estimated that the total cost of tobacco-related healthcare and economic losses reached 108 trillion VND (4.14 billion USD) annually – equivalent to 1.14% of GDP and five times higher than the budget revenue generated by the tobacco industry.
All eligible patients will receive surgical interventions and post-operative care in accordance with Vietnamese medical standards and global care protocols.
Medical screenings and surgical interventions for children with disabilities are being carried out at health centers across Dien Bien. So far this year, 242 children have been identified for diagnosis, treatment, surgery, and the provision of assistive devices.
The Red Journey has become the country’s largest and most effective blood donation campaign, leaving a strong impression on the national voluntary blood donation movement.
This case marks the ninth fetal cardiac intervention conducted in HCM City, and it was considered the most technically demanding to date due to the fetus’s extremely early gestational age and the severity of the condition as diagnosed with aortic atresia.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place one day after the VNVC Vaccine JS Company and Sanofi Group exchanged cooperation documents on vaccine production technology transfer under the witness of State President Luong Cuong and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Vietnam’s traditional medicine took centre stage at the International Congress Biopharm Nonclinical Development, BioNCiD 2025, held on May 25-26 in the Cuban city of Varadero, amid growing global interest in sustainable healthcare solutions.
Under the agreement, VNVC and Sanofi will gradually implement technology transfers to enable domestic production of several key Sanofi vaccines that are widely used in Vietnam. In addition, Sanofi will support VNVC in training human resources and quality management in vaccine research and manufacturing.
Despite the ongoing global circulation and unpredictable developments of SARS-CoV-2, the World Health Organisation (WHO) hasn’t issued new warnings about COVID-19, said the Ministry of Health.
Illegal immigrants sent to quarantine in Quang Binh (Photo: VNA) 
