| Dear members and friends I hope you are all keeping safe. We’d like to highlight an urgent notice for members in HCMC. We’ve received notification (via Vietnam News) that the City has promised 200,000 jabs for foreigners. If you have not received yours, we urge you to register here https://tiemchungcovid19.gov.vn/portal/register-person or via https://hssk.kcb.vn/#/sskdt (for Android and iOS).
As you may have seen, BritCham have now closed our vaccine registration site and all information has been passed to the ERO via the UK Consulate in HCMC and to other relevant provincial authorities through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If you have yet to register, please do via the Embassy and Consulate communication channels such as Facebook, Linked In, Twitter, etc… The UK Embassy and Consulate teams are continuing their work to ensure equitable vaccine distribution. Initial results seem very positive and where it has not been the case, actions are being discussed at a senior level to ensure the situation is being rectified promptly. Directive 16 lock down and closures continue to be tough for everyone, but especially for those with limited social or family networks or in remote areas. If you are a British Citizen or know of anyone who is stranded, needs support or a form of travel authorisation to get to an airport, please do get in touch with the Consular services for support. With ongoing developments in Afghanistan, all FCO services across numerous region are very busy, so do be patient and allow enough time for processing and resolution. We’re also aware that it’s the time of the year when there is a rush for visa and passport services to enable travel between the UK and Vietnam for family, education or business reasons. Continued extension of Directive 16 in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City has impacted processing and distribution of visas. The Embassy and Consulates are pressing hard for the Visa Application Centres (VFS) to be reopened as they form part of the diplomatic service to UK Citizens and to the benefit of Vietnamese and other nationalities as well. Furthermore, with global travel gradually opening up but quarantine regulations changing and diverging, the next steps are to ensure mutual recognition of vaccines. The Embassy team have provided information on the UK vaccination certificates for consideration by the Vietnamese authorities. In turn, the UK health and transport authorities are working out how to recognize vaccine certification from other countries, such as Vietnam, which can reduce the need for quarantine on entry to the UK. Finally, we are launching our new series of webinars in the coming weeks as well as virtual social events and our flagship charity activities. We intend to start promoting from next week and hope to see you attending. Best regards, Chris Jeffery Chairman of BritCham Vietnam | 