The Vietnamese COVID passport might soon become a reality as the concept is being tested in one northern province, to try and reopen the borders safely for tourists.
Vietnam locked downs its borders in March 2020 and has enforced some of the strictest travel regulations the world over.
Only Vietnamese citizens going home, students, and workers with special skills have been allowed to enter the country in the last year.
The tourism industry in the country has been crippled, and local governments are pleading with parliament to introduce a COVID pass in Vietnam to attract tourists and foreign investors.
The release of the EU Digital COVID Certificate is putting pressure on many countries to implement vaccine passports of their own.
Vietnam’s vaccine passport tested in Quang Ninh
Those traveling to the northern province of Quang Ninh by air have been able to take advantage of the pilot phase of Vietnam’s COVID certificate program.
Previously, anyone entering Vietnam had to undergo 21 days of mandatory quarantine at a designated government facility.
Now, vaccinated workers with special skills, their family members, and students are the first to be eligible for the Vietnamese vaccine passport scheme.
Under these new entry regulations, these people will have to go through a centralized quarantine for 7 days after entering through Van Don International Airport.
Thereafter, a further 7 days of self-isolation is required and another 14 days of medical observation.
A COVID test must also be taken at the airport (with negative results) and the traveler must provide a COVID certificate proving full inoculation more than 14 days prior to arrival.
Vaccines and vaccine certificates that have been greenlit by the WHO, European Medicines Agency, US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and Vietnamese authorities will be accepted.
Phu Quoc reopening
The island of Phu Quoc in the south of Vietnam has been identified as a possible location for a second phase of opening.
The island has less than 2,000 residents and local authorities are aiming to vaccinate them all before opening the island to tourists.
Phu Quoc is isolated from mainland Vietnam and has plenty of modern facilities to accommodate a program of this kind.
The central province of Quang Nam, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hoi An, is also being considered as the province is relatively isolated from other regions of Vietnam.
Thailand has recently opened the island of Phuket with some success and Vietnam is planning to follow suit.
Current COVID Situation in Vietnam
Vietnam was applauded for its remarkable grip on the pandemic, being one of the safest places in the world until May 2021.
Since then the infection rate has spiked and 9,256 new cases were recorded on one day at the end of July. This brings Vietnam’s total number of infections to over 117,000 as of late July.
In Vietnam, 524 people have died of COVID-19 as of late July.
Less than 500,000 people have been fully vaccinated which only represents 0,4% of the population.