We are living in extraordinary times. To deal with the threat of the coronavirus, Vietnam has issued a 30-day ban on issuing visas to any national from any country in the world.

The news was confirmed in an official press release yesterday, with VnExpress reporting that Vietnam is to stop issuing visas to all countries, with the ban commencing today.

Vietnam has been doing everything in its power to keep Covid-19 under control, leading to praise from the World Health Organization. This latest move follows a long list of measures taken by the government to stem the spread of the virus. 

Just over a week ago, Vietnam halted issuing all visas to nationals from the UK and most EU countries, as the continent has become one of the hardest-hit areas in the world. Vietnam halted visa waivers to South Korean nationals in February.

Phu Quoc has also forbidden entry to all tourists over coronavirus fears after a Latvian man tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday. All bars and restaurants have been closed. The tourist ban applies as of Monday, March 16.

Earlier in March, all tourists were asked to leave tourist hotspot Cat Ba Island near Ha Long Bay in northern Vietnam after tourists in the area tested positive for Covid-19.

Vietnam Airlines has threatened to permanently ban any passenger hiding information about Covid-19 symptoms after a number of infections were linked to flights.

Bars and clubs in Ho Chi Minh City were closed last weekend over fears the virus will spread there.

On March 13, Hanoi Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung requested that all bars, karaoke parlors and some tourist sites in the capital close until the end of March. A number of streets in Hanoi and neighboring towns have also been quarantined after people living in the area recently tested positive for Covid-19.

[Photo via Creative Commons]