General Info

[Banana Boi]

Do they sell antigen test kits in stores in the Nang, Hanoi, and HCM? If so, how much are they?

[Banana Boi]

Pre-pandemic entry requirements are back! No quarantine! No tests when you arrive! Just apply for your eVisa online and away you go!

[Captain Solo]

Current snapshot of COVID-19 situation in Vietnam.

Vietnam welcomes international tourists and returning Vietnamese who meet the following conditions:

Present proof of full vaccination against COVID-19, with the last dose at least 14 days and not more than 1 year prior to date of entry. Or present a certificate of recovery from COVID-19. The time between hospital discharge and entry date must not exceed 6 months.

Present a negative result from an RT-PCR / RT-LAMP-method test administered within 72 hours before boarding (from the time of test).

Have medical or travel insurance that covers COVID-19 treatment, with minimum liability at $20,000. This is typically about USD 40. Contact your travel agent.

Present booking with an approved package tour program of a travel agency.

Health requirements.

For Fully vaccinated: If traveling independently, you will only need 3 days self-isolate at your own accommodation, and conduct PCR tests on day 1 and day 3. If you test positive, you will be quarantined consistent with Government rules. If negative, you are still required to continue to self-monitor for 7 days while enjoying your destination.

For no proof of full vaccination: you will need to self-isolate for 7 days at your own accommodation, and conduct PCR tests on day 1 and day 7. If you test positive, you will be quarantined consistent with Government rules. If negative, please continue to self-monitor for 14 days after your isolation period.

These are based on guidelines from the Ministry of Health.

[Captain Solo]

130 countries are in CDC's level 4, including some of the most popular spots.

I traveled to Mexico just about every week and to many Latin America countries before I got any vaccine, spent most of my time partying with girls in cramped, hot, humid speak easies. Did not get infected.

A few relatives work in healthcare, had 3 shots of vaccines, still got infected recently and brought it home. Their symptoms were mild, cough, runny nose, light fever, dragged out over 2 weeks. The children were infected with mild symptoms but recovered within 1 week.

I can live with 1-day quarantine and a travel health insurance for $10 K. Based on past experiences, infection risks are low and symptoms mild with 3 shots of vaccines.

https://www.travelandleisure.com/tra...-advisory-list

The agency classifies destinations as "Level 4" if there are more than 500 COVID-19 cases reported per 100,000 people over the last 28 days.

The CDC recommends that anyone who does travel to a "Level 4" destination is "vaccinated and up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines before travel," but warns, "Even if you are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines, you may still be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19. ".

Currently, the country is seeing a spike in new COVID-19 cases, reporting more than 95,000 new infections per day, according to Reuters. Currently, more than 130 destinations are considered "Level 4," including some of the most popular tourist spots like Mexico, Canada, Aruba, Spain, Italy, and France.

When Vietnam does open, international travelers will be expected to be fully vaccinated within the past six months as well as test negative for COVID-19 before their departure and then again upon arrival in the country. Travelers will also be required to quarantine for the first day of their trip and carry travel medical coverage for up to $10,000.

USA Travelers will be required to obtain a visa for travel to Vietnam.

Vietnam's decision to open comes as several other neighboring destinations have started welcoming Americans. Last month, the tourist hotspot Bali reopened to travelers, the Philippines reopened to fully vaccinated visitors, and Thailand reintroduced quarantine-free travel to the country.

[Banana Boi]

USA Department of State updated its Travel Advisory for Vietnam and raised the Travel Advisory Level to Level 4: Do Not Travel. This upgrade reflects the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Level 4 Health Travel Notice indicating that there is a very high level of COVID-19 in Vietnam.

I don't get it. USA has 26 million active cases for 334 million population. Vietnam has under 1 million active cases for nearly 100 million people. I think my math is good enough to figure out Vietnam is MUCH safer for COVID than the USA. Regardless, we are all tripe and quadruple vaxx'd now so imo it's safe to travel anywhere and time for all countries to allow triple vaxx'd people in with no quarantine or PCR testing.

[Captain Solo]

Just got this email from State Dept:

USA Mission Vietnam.

Message for USA Citizens.

Level 4 Travel Warning for Vietnam.

March 1, 2022.

On February 28,2022 the USA Department of State updated its Travel Advisory for Vietnam and raised the Travel Advisory Level to Level 4: Do Not Travel. This upgrade reflects the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Level 4 Health Travel Notice indicating that there is a very high level of COVID-19 in Vietnam. For more information, please refer to the advisory and CDC notice.

The COVID-19 situation in Vietnam is constantly changing and varies from province to province. All USA Citizens are advised to check with local friends, landlords, employers, or ward-level government officials to be aware of the most up-to-date information for each ward, district, or city. Government of Vietnam regulations regarding business operations, quarantine, movement, and travel restrictions in all parts of Vietnam can change with little notice.

[Banana Boi]

The 3 day isolation is a bit of a killer. Maybe I could do it if I were traveling with a lady friend.

The 1 or 3 day quarantine is irrelevant to 99% of us. Vietnam is not issuing tourist visas unless you enter with a tour group. As of February 16, the earliest date I have heard for unrestricted regular Visa on Arrival is March 15.

Government ministries have sought to reopen Vietnam for international tourism sometime between March 15 and the end of April, subject to approvals and in line with Vietnams strategy of opening up and living with the virus.

[Captain Solo]

The 3 day isolation was old, until Jan 1, 2022.

After Feb 15 I read somewhere that the new requirement is 1-day self quarantine.

I would wait a few more weeks for things to clear up.

A friend with 3 Moderna shots got infected but symptoms were mild, loss of taste and smell, some coughing, for 15 days so far. The spouse lives in the same house and went everywhere together never got infected. A theory says people, who travel a lot, have contacts with lots of people and exposed to lots of pathogens, seem to build up immunity to CoVid so they don't get infected. Before vacc, I went to lost of places in Central and South America, also got intimate with lots of girls in Tijuana's cramped and damp speakeasies. Never got infected. A couple wingmen got vacc but still got infected.

Doctors get exposed to a lot of people and pathogens too, did not seem to boost their immunity. Before Vaccs were available I know 4 healthy local doctors, in their mid 40's and 50's, died of CoVid.

[Locamotive]

The 3 day isolation is a bit of a killer. Maybe I could do it if I were traveling with a lady friend.

Friends,

I have there say March 31st for open tourism. Got a few girls there but think its better to wait. Other places open. Why fool with that.

[Explorer8939]

https://www.reuters.com/business/hea...15-2022-02-13/

"Vietnam will lift restrictions on international flights starting February 15. The frequency of flights will be restored to pre-pandemic level," Tuoi Tre said, citing Dinh Viet Son, deputy director of the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam.

Vietnam has already informed its partners about that new policy and only China has not yet agreed to resume commercial flights with Vietnam, Son was quoted as saying.

The 3 day isolation is a bit of a killer. Maybe I could do it if I were traveling with a lady friend.

[Captain Solo]

Yep.

Air friction at 650 MPH can tear off lots of hard layers, unraveling skin underneath. The carbon fiber skin is also a part of the pressurized structure. Any stress point would potentially compromise structure integrity.

Even military jets with hard alloy skin would tear their skins apart at low, subsonic speed, rupture and disintegrate, when hit by small caliber rounds.

Al Qatar did ground all 18 or so of their A350's.

[GDreams]

Air friction can probably tear the skin off and rupture the highly-pressurized structure. I would hate to fall out of an aircraft without a parachute.

You really think that it is the paint holding the aircraft together? If it was a safety issue would the aircraft not be grounded? Yes trust Boeing who lied on their airworthiness certificates!

[Captain Solo]

Lefeu,

Singapore air flies Airbus A350's on that route. A350's have paint peeling problems exposing carbon fiber composite structure in critical areas, fuselage, wings, tail, rudder. Airbus could not keep paint to stick on their planes. Al Qatar shows many pics of badly damaged skin and is embroiling in vicious fights with lawsuits against Airbus.

Air friction can probably tear the skin off and rupture the highly-pressurized structure. I would hate to fall out of an aircraft without a parachute.

You may want to search JAL, Ana, Korea Air flying B777 and B787, definitely safer in many ways.

Singapore Airlines 37 SIA37 / SQ37.

Aircraft Type Airbus A350-900 (twin-jet) (A359).

Airline Singapore Airlines "Singapore".

Speed 539 mph (Planned: 566 mph).

Altitude 38,000 ft (Planned: 34,000 ft).

Distance Direct: 8,772 mi.

[Captain Solo]

https://www.reuters.com/business/hea...15-2022-02-13/

"Vietnam will lift restrictions on international flights starting February 15. The frequency of flights will be restored to pre-pandemic level," Tuoi Tre said, citing Dinh Viet Son, deputy director of the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam.

Vietnam has already informed its partners about that new policy and only China has not yet agreed to resume commercial flights with Vietnam, Son was quoted as saying.

[Lefeu]

...

Vietnam is reported to fully open for international visitors after March 1, 2022.

There is no mention of any test upon arrival.

https://vn.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen...9-information/
...

So glad to hear this. I have a Singapore air ticket that's due to expire June of this year. This was a credit from a Covid canceled 2020 trip to Europe. I can schedule a trip to Vietnam and possibly Thailand as well. Woohoo!