The Government of Vietnam has decided to temporarily suspend visa exemption for citizens from Italy since March 3 amid fast rising coronavirus infections in the European country.
The decision was confirmed by Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang on Monday morning. VGP reports.
Italy is one of 13 countries currently benefiting from Viet Nam’s unilateral visa exemption program with duration of stay not exceeding 15 days.
Earlier on February 28, the Government had decided to temporarily halt visa-waiver program for nationals of South Korea in the wake of the Coronavirus epidemic, applicable since March February 29.
The Italian Ministry of Health reported Monday that the number of coronavirus infections in the nation rose to 1,694, including 34 fatalities.
Vietnam has so far confirmed 16 cases of the viral infection, including 13 Vietnamese, one Vietnamese American, and two Chinese.
All of Vietnam’s COVID-19 patients have recovered and been discharged from the hospital, while no new infections have been reported nationwide since February 13.
The coronavirus has killed more than 3,000 people worldwide so far, including six in the United States, and has caused major disruptions to the global economy.