HANOI, 8 April 2020: Vietnam has introduced nationwide emergency quarantine and has announced it will also enforce strict social distancing rules for both residents and tourists.
Travel advisories warn that visitors staying in the country must restrict their movements to purchasing necessities and self distance themselves to comply with soft-lockdown rules.
Some provinces have introduced additional restrictions with tougher penalties for those who fail to comply.
Malaysia has implemented what it calls a ‘Movement Control Order’, which includes an entry ban on all foreign tourists.
It halts all non-essential government services, businesses, education and religious institutions; and prohibits large gatherings.
There are now limited direct flights serving Malaysia.
Thailand has suspended all incoming passenger flights until 18 April following a Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand extension of a ban that should have ended 6 April.
After the ban ends 18 April, just a few outbound flights will operate mainly to repatriate tourists to their own countries.
The country’s Immigration Bureau said 1,965 travellers exited the country 6 April and just a few hundred arrived.
It is possible the CAAT will extend the outright flight ban beyond 18 April if Covid-19 cases described as imported cases* increase. (*Thais returning home from countries with high infections such as the US and Europe.)
A daily curfew is in place throughout Thailand between 2200 and 0200. The curfew is not likely to be extended if the number of new cases continues to decline as was the case 6 April when officials reported 31 new infections.
Hotels in Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga and Pattaya have now closed and are asking the few remaining guests to leave over the next couple of days. Phuket International Airport is due to close 10 April. Airports in Samui, Trat and Sukhothai have closed.
