Vietnam Suspends Visa Exemptions for 8 European Nations

(Bloomberg) --

Premier Nguyen Xuan Phuc suspended the visa waivers for eight European countries amid growing concerns about the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The decision to temporarily cancel visa-free travel for citizens of Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Spain followed a recommendation by the national steering committee on coronavirus prevention and control, according to a posting on the government’s website, which cited a cabinet meeting today.

An outbreak of 13 coronavirus cases over the weekend tied to a flight from London to Hanoi has led the government to restrict international tourists. The committee also proposed the same measure to countries that have had more than 500 total infection cases or more than 50 cases recorded in a day, according to the government’s news website, which cited information from a March 8 meeting.

The prime minister also directed national and local governments to temporarily suspend staff business trips abroad unless approved by him.

Last week, Vietnam suspended its visa-free policy for Italian citizens.

To contact the reporter on this story: Mai Ngoc Chau in Ho Chi Minh City at cmai9@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: John Boudreau at jboudreau3@bloomberg.net

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