The Vietnam Sports Administration has been required to inform all foreign sports delegations to the upcoming SEA Games 31 about the suspension of the COVID-19 health declaration certification at Vietnamese border gates, according to an urgent announcement.
The notice was sent by the Ministry of Health’s General Department of Preventive Medicine, requesting the VSA to report to the SEA Games 31’s organizing committee and inform other regional delegations about the new policy.
All arrivals in Vietnam no longer have to submit health declarations, starting from April 27, the Ministry of Health has announced.
Previously, the ministry has issued a guideline for COVID-19 control measures during the region’s biggest sports event, saying that any guest who holds a position of the deputy ministerial level or above, as well as heads and deputy heads of sports delegations, will neither need to show negative COVID-19 testing results when entering Vietnam nor take tests after arrival. Also, they do not need to go into mandatory quarantine.
Sports officials, referees, and athletes are required to have certified negative RT-PCR/RT-LAMP testing results taken within 72 hours or rapid antigen testing within 24 hours before entering Vietnam, but not to quarantine.
The 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31), featuring 40 sports, is scheduled to take place in Hanoi and 11 nearby localities from May 12 to 23.