PM ORDERS AUTHORITIES TO PROBE VIOLATION OF RULES TO ALLOW FOREIGN EXPERTS ENTRY

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has ordered an investigation into possible issue of visas to foreign experts during the Covid-19 pandemic without following protocol.

The Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health, National Defense, Public Securities, and Transport will review the entire process and look for wrongdoing and failure by various agencies to seek approval for their entry as mandated, according to a statement released Tuesday by the Government Office.

The country closed its borders and canceled all international commercial flights on March 25 last year and has since only allowed Vietnamese repatriates and foreign experts and highly-skilled workers along with their parents, spouses and children to enter though with stringent conditions related to Covid testing and quarantine.

All companies who bring in the experts and related official agencies must get the consent of the five ministries first before they seek approval from the PM, but some have directly applied to the PM.

Vietnam has been grappling with a new Covid wave since April 27, and by Wednesday 562 people in 26 cities and provinces had been diagnosed with the infection.

The government decided last week that people entering the country have to be in quarantine for 21 days and then isolate themselves for 14 days at an address they register with the authorities.

Source: Vnexpress