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Vietnam Airlines apologises for staff breaking Covid-19 prevention rules
  • | dtinews.vn | December 02, 2020 05:11 PM
Vietnam Airlines have said that they were sorry that a staff member had transmitted SARS-CoV-2 to other people after he failed to follow quarantine regulations for virus prevention.


Students wait for Covid-19 testing in Ho Chi Minh City.

The 28-year-old male attendant of the national flag carrier tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in his third viral testing on November 29 while self-quarantining. However, he was then found to have transmitted the virus to a friend who came to stay with him. He was also reported to have visited many public places and contacted with some other people during that time.

"Our attendant had been sent to a quarantine area after working on an international flight on November 14," the airlines said in a press release sent out on December 2. "After having negative results for coronavirus in two consecutive tests, he was allowed to self-quarantine at home following the state regulations. However, he had failed to follow the rules for home quarantine when he went out and came into contact with other people and caused the virus to spread."

Vietnam Airlines said they would work closely with local authorities to have proper quarantine measures for their staff members and strictly deal with violations.

Vietnam Airlines have two quarantine facilities in Ho Chi Minh City and one in Hanoi which were built in June to host their crew members and other staff following their flights to virus-hit areas. These facilities have served some 10,000 staff members so far.

Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City have decided to close two quarantine areas of Vietnam Airlines in the city from December 2 following the incident.

The Ministry of Transport has also sent an urgent letter to ask the Civil Aviation Authority and local airlines including Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, Bamboo Airways, and Pacific Airlines to tighten regulations on Covid-19 prevention and control, especially with the crew members of international flights. The ministry also asked for strict punishment for violators.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on December 1 requested the temporary suspension of all incoming commercial flights except for flights that repatriate Vietnamese citizens stranded overseas due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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