The Vietnamese Embassy in the US is taking measures to support Vietnamese citizens amid concern about complicated developments of the COVID-19 epidemic in the US and new regulations of many countries, including Vietnam, regarding entry-exit and aviation transport.

A deserted street in New York during COVID-19 pandemic (Source: Xinhua/VNA)

The embassy has worked with Vietnam’s general consulates in Houston and San Francisco and the Vietnamese mission in New York to raise awareness among students about the need to avoid travelling back to Vietnam at this moment so as to reduce the risk of contracting disease and overloading of medical service in the home country.

The embassy set up three hotlines and four email addresses, which operate around the clock seven days a week to provide information and help regarding documents and procedures for Vietnamese citizens.

 The embassy has coordinated with the general consulates in Houston and San Francisco to help nearly 40 students who were stuck at Dallas airport (Texas) after their flights were cancelled.

 The embassy has posted on its website guidance on COVID-19 with regularly updated information on the disease and new pandemic-related policies and rules of Vietnam and the host country, along with warning against possible risks.

 The embassy has coordinated with associations of Vietnamese youth and students in the US to help Vietnamese students seek new accommodations when their schools close down, and raise support for the students.

 At the same time, the embassy on March 25 published an electronic form for those who want to return to Vietnam to collect information on the need to report to the home country for consideration.   

Regarding to reports that a number of crew members on the US’s aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt tested positive for SARS-CoV- 2 after the vessel visited Vietnam, Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Ha Kim Ngoc said when the carrier docked at Da Nang port and during the visit, both the Vietnamese and US sides had worked together to implement  disease preventive measures.

The visit was a success, contributing to deepening the Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership and maintaining peace, stability and stability in the region.

The ambassador made clear that during and after the Vietnam visit, the US carrier received many flights of US military, therefore the process of investigation is still underway with no conclusion yet on the cause and source of infection of the COVID-19 cases on the carrier.

 Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday told the press that he thinks it would be difficult to tie down these active cases to the Da Nang port visit. “We’ve had aircraft flying to and from the ship, and so we just don’t want to say it was that particular port visit. We took great precautions when that crew came back from that shore period to do enhanced medical screening of the crew,” Gilday told reporters last week.