Vietnam started to apply preventive safety measures to all passengers from South Korea as of 3:00pm on February 23 at all border gates, according to the Ministry of Health.

Due to the complicated evolution of the Covid-19 epidemic in South Korea, Vietnam’s Ministry of Health on Sunday held a meeting with relevant ministries and agencies to analyze the situation in South Korea and proposed measures to prevent the disease from spreading through arrivals from the Northeast Asian country.

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Health declaration is now required for everyone coming from South Korea, according to a Health Ministry regulation issued yesterday. Those with symptoms like high fever, coughing and breathing difficulties will be put in quarantine.

Besides, following the Vietnamese government’s instruction, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urgently adopt measures to protect Vietnamese citizens in South Korea.

The Vietnamese embassy in South Korea has set up an emergency telephone line for citizen protection which is +82 106 315 6618 and available 24/7.

The Vietnam Overseas Labor Office in South Korea has also made public an emergency number which is +82 103 248 6886 for Vietnamese workers to contact when they need assistance.

There are currently about 200,000 Vietnamese citizens studying and working in South Korea, including 8,285 people in Daegu city, 18,502 people in Gyeongsangbuk province and 333 people in Cheongdo district, South Korean localities hardest hit by the pandemic.

According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, South Korean tourists coming to Vietnam have been booming in recent years.

Last year, 3.16 million South Korean visitors arrived in Vietnam, an increase of 46.5% year-on-year, making South Korea the second largest international tourist source for, just behind China.

According to the data analysis page of OAG Schedules Analyzer, two way flights between Vietnam and South Korea accounted for 44.5% of Vietnam's international flights in 2018.

According to an update of the Ministry of Health, as of February 24, South Korea alone has 602 cases of new coronavirus infections, an increase of 46 cases compared to a day earlier.