A medical worker is injected with the Covid-19 vaccine. The Ministry of Transport has written to the Government proposing directing the Ministry of Health to add Vietnamese sailors to the priority list for the Covid-19 vaccination – PHOTO: VNA

HCMC – The Ministry of Transport has written to the Government proposing directing the Ministry of Health to add Vietnamese sailors, navigators and those who work directly with ships to the priority list for the Covid-19 vaccination to facilitate their procedures for vaccine passports and thus make life easier for them to travel to other countries.

The ministry also proposed the Government direct the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to put Vietnamese sailors whose work contracts expired and who were stuck in foreign countries on the priority list for repatriation flights.

The Ministry of Transport also expected the provincial and municipal governments to set appropriate quarantine fees for sailors at concentrated quarantine centers after they enter Vietnam, VietnamPlus news site reported.

In late March, the leaders of the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Maritime Organization, the International Labor Organization and the World Health Organization called on the members of the United Nations to prioritize sailors for Covid-19 vaccination to make it safe to travel from one nation to another.

Representatives of sea transport firms and ship owners said that Vietnam’s ship crew members were changed not only in Vietnam but also in other countries during the ships’ operations.

As such, the representatives proposed putting sailors on the priority list for Covid-19 vaccination.

Following the proposal, the Vietnam Ship Owners’ Association proposed the prime minister direct relevant agencies to prioritize sailors for the Covid-19 inoculation to ensure marine transport operations are carried out smoothly, contributing to helping the country’s economy recover.