The epidemic of Covid-19 in the world is still complicated while domestic airlines are on the verge of resuming international routes. Many travel companies are encouraging foreign tourists to come to Vietnam, raising the concerns about a new outbreak of Covid-19. Granted that disease prevention must go hand in hand with economic development; however, without control over air services and international visitors, the prospect of a new outbreak of the new SAR-CoV-2 is possible.
On March 31, French President Emmanuel Macron issued a nationwide lockdown to control the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic. According to the French leader, the nation is "at risk of losing control" due to the rapid spread of the new strain of the SARS-CoV-2. On the same day, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen also signed a new decree on measures to prevent and control the Covid-19 epidemic, providing a number of restrictions on people and business activities including curfew in some highly risky areas. Previously, the governments of Poland, Switzerland, Sweden, Turkey, Ecuador, Morocco and many more also issued measures to tighten the control of the Covid-19 epidemic in their nations before the signs of increasing the number of abnormal cases.
A review of disease control measures in some countries showed that the situation of Covid-19 epidemic in the world is still going on in a very complicated way even though some countries have implemented vaccination on large scale. Even in the US, despite accelerating the vaccination plan for the people, the number of new Covid-19 cases per day still takes first in the world. Having strong potentials and synchronous medical infrastructure at a high level, but once the epidemic breaks out, many rich countries like the US also fall into a crisis of hospital beds and treatment equipment for patients. The outbreak of the epidemic led to the blockade, zoning and quarantine, which seriously affected production and business operations as well as slowing down the economic development. Therefore, promoting economic development must go hand in hand with strengthening epidemic prevention and control.
Resuming international flights and encouraging foreign tourists to come to Vietnam are for regaining the momentum of service and tourism growth. This is a necessary measure to save airlines and travel companies from debt and losses, making an important contribution to the overall growth of the nation in 2021. However, the resumption of national flights and opening to welcome foreign tourists should be carefully planned. No one can be sure that a Covid passport is safe due to the fact that many people who have recovered are still positive for Covid-19 again. Therefore, epidemic is persistent to tourists who are going to Vietnam and can break out in the community at any time.
Thus, the lesson of dual targets is always in place on opening to tourists in a bid of accelerate economic growth.
Reported by Le Quang – Translated by Vi Bao
