A room inside Can Gio Resort in HCMC is used as a quarantine camp,
March 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Huu Khoa. 

At least 145 two to five star hotels have signed up to become quarantine areas for suspected Covid-19 patients as of Sunday. 

Data from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism shows that these hotels are mainly in major cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and localities such as Quang Ninh, home to the UNESCO heritage site Ha Long Bay and the southern industrial hub of Dong Nai.

These facilities are committed to publicizing rates including bedrooms and essential services during the quarantine period.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will submit the list to the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention, which will select and set up isolation facilities.

Hotels used for isolation will not serve any other purpose, and will ensure essential living conditions such as electricity, water, sanitation, bathrooms and ventilation. There will be security guards at these hotels who will prevent unauthorized people from entering the establishments.

All vehicles entering and leaving such hotels will be disinfected.

Hotel staff will be trained to serve quarantining purposes, including wearing masks and restricting conversations.

Local authorities will be responsible for assisting and monitoring the quarantining process at the selected hotels. Those who do not comply with the regulations will be punished.

Those subject to compulsory isolation for 14 days after entering Vietnam have to register with the authorities if they wish to stay at the hotels for quarantine and are willing to pay for it.

As of Sunday, 122 people had been sent to paid isolation zones in the outlying district of Can Gio in HCMC.

According to the municipal Department of Tourism, out of 197 cases quarantined in the district, 75 were isolated at the Can Gio Hospital without fees. Forty-three were quarantined at the Phuong Nam Hotel, 30 at the Can Gio Resort and 49 at the Mangrove Resort, all paid isolation areas.

Some hotel and resort owners in Can Gio District said room rates at hotels that receive isolation guests range from VND350,000 ($15) to VND500,000 ($21) per day, not excluding other service fees. For 14 days, the quarantined people will pay around VND10.8 million ($460).

An aerial view of the Can Gio Resort outside Saigon.
Photo by VnExpress/Huu Khoa.  

Earlier, officials had said they expected to receive 10,000 Vietnamese coming home from abroad this week, with the corresponding figure for HCMC being 17,000.

Tourism officials in the central city of Da Nang said more than 700 hotel rooms are ready to serve as isolation camps for those returning from abroad who will be placed under 14-day quarantine in accordance with the Health Ministry’s regulations.

Many hotels, resorts and other lodging establishments have agreed to act as quarantine areas for suspected Covid-19 patients, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism had said earlier.

The country has recorded 105 new cases since March 6, with 104 still under treatment and one recovered last week. Of the active cases, 12 have tested negative either once or twice.

Many of the active cases are Vietnamese nationals returning from Europe and the U.S. and foreigners visiting from the same regions.

Starting Sunday, in an unprecedented move, Vietnam suspended entry for all foreign nationals, including those of Vietnamese origin and family members with visa waivers.

The Covid-19 pandemic has killed over 14,700 people globally, spreading to 192 countries and territories thus far.