Vietnam to punish discrimination of foreigners due to coronavirus

The Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc Wednesday said that any discrimination against foreigners would be punished, Vietnam News has reported.

The directive came after several reports in the media of hotels and restaurants across the country refusing to serve foreign residents, and discrimination against them due to coronavirus fears.

Cases of discrimination appear to have been on the rise after a large number of Vietnam’s new Covid-19 cases seem to have arrived from Europe, particularly people travelling to the country from London. The WHO has declared Europe as the epicenter of the virus.

The Prime Minister said that all People’s Committees had to ensure that foreign tourists in their areas did not suffer from discrimination, to closely follow the Law on Tourism on committing no discrimination against foreign tourists, and ensure that Vietnam was friendly and hospital and safe for tourists.

He said that complex cases should be referred to higher authorities for a ruling.

He also ordered the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to ensure the prevention of Covid-19 in line with instructions from health authorities and measures to support foreigners to protect themselves from the virus, such as the mandatory wearing of masks in public areas.

The Foreign Ministry must devise guidelines and work with foreign embassies to prevent any “regretful incidents” and maintain the positive image of the country.