Able bodied privilege

The Hanoitimes - Local hospitality businesses need to collect, update and report to the tourism authorities about the number of foreign guests who are forced to stay at their facilities due to reasons beyond their control. The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) has asked local tourist accommodations to exempt and reduce room charges for foreign tourists who are stuck in Vietnam due to the coronavirus pandemic, until the Ministry of Transport can arrange flights to send them home. Foreign tourists wearing face masks in Hoi An, Quang Nam province. (Photo: To Quoc) Earlier, the VNAT had requested the provincial authorities to urgently check and list foreign tourists who are stuck in the localities due to border closures and flight suspension. These foreigners are passengers who may be in quarantine, stranded due to flight suspension or in transit to a third country which closed its borders. The provincial authorities will report to the Ministries of Transport and Foreign Affairs about the number of foreign tourists, their departure points in Vietnam and countries/territories where the tourists come from. During this stay-at-hotel period, tourist accommodations are required not to organize buffet and cater for guests right inside the room, supervise guest health and take measures to ensure the safety of guests and employees. They should remind guests to refrain from going out, make mandatory medical declarations, regularly check body temperature, wear face masks and keep a two-meter distance from each other when in contact. In late March, the Vietnam’s Immigration Department has also facilitated procedures for extension of temporary residence for foreigners who are unable to leave the country due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Accordingly, foreigners who entered Vietnam with a visa waiver or tourist visa (including electronic visas) and who have their resident permits expired but do not have any sponsoring entity and …

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The Hanoitimes - Vital transport projects in Hanoi have been suspended until April 15 with a view to curbing mass gatherings and preventing Covid-19 from spreading. Construction of Hanoi's vital transport projects, including the Nhon - Hanoi Station sky train and the viaduct of Ring Road 2, has been temporarily stopped following the government directive on enhancing social distancing, VnExpress reported. Those works have been suspended until April 15 with a view to curbing mass gatherings and containing the Covid-19 pandemic. A section of the Nhon - Hanoi Station metro project on Kim Ma Street on April 2. Photo: VNE Currently, no workers are seen on the construction site of the Nhon - Hanoi Station sky train but only a dozen of machines which are gathered in one place and covered. Before Hanoi entered social distancing, around a thousand workers and experts were present at the site day and night. After 10 years, the project’s underground sections are still being dug. The Hanoi Metropolitan Railway Management Board said that the resumption of works depends on the Covid-19 evolution. Similarly, the construction site of Viaduct of Ring Road 2 is empty as workers have 15 days off though the viaduct is expected to be inaugurated at the end of this year. Works on the Ring Road 3 viaduct project from Mai Dich overpass Thang Long bridge are still underway, however only a dozen of workers are seen on their site. Pham Anh Tu, head of Project Management Department 1 under Ministry of Transport, explained that this is a key project, and needs to be completed as the earnest time possible. However, workers have to comply with preventive measures such as body temperature check, hand sanitization and use of face masks. Some 90% of the project has been completed and it is expected to be inaugurated and opened to traffic by the year-end. As of April 3, Vietnam has recorded 233 Covid-19 patients, of which 75 have been cured and discharged from …

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