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Ho Chi Minh City Tightens Checks On Long-Term & Airbnb Guests After Finding 114 Illegal Immigrants

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Ho Chi Minh City authorities ramp up control over illegal immigrants

As of 3rd August, Ho Chi Minh City has reported 114 people entering the city illegally, Cong An Tp HCM reported. Some illegal immigrants were found in apartment buildings, while the others hid in retail shops. This report has set off alarm bells among authorities and local residents, especially during the ongoing pandemic across the country.

In a bid to curtail the risks of COVID-19 in dense residential areas such as apartment buildings, HCMC Tourism Board has asked district authorities to ramp up checks in these particular places.

Landlords are required to inform local authorities about their guests

Landlords or accommodation service providers are required to inspect guests’ documents and record detailed information about their long-term and short-term guests, such as their personal details, travel history, and health conditions.


Police officers checking on an apartment in Binh Thanh District
Image for illustration purposes only
Image credit: Tuoi Tre

After that, landlords should submit this information to the HCMC Tourism Board at hoteldivision.tphcm@gmail.com. More details in Vietnamese can be found on its page.

Guests are requested to comply with COVID-19-related health regulations, such as making health declarations and alerting landlords or medical staff when noticing suspicious symptoms.

Neighborhood patrol forces, apartment management boards, and local police officers are also requested by authorities to work closely with one another and report to local authorities regarding pandemic control in the locality.

Phu My Hung in District 7 has many apartment buildings and hotels with Airbnb services

Saigon reports 42,909 Da Nang returnees to date

So far, 42,909 Saigon residents coming back from Da Nang after 1st July have come forward to make health declarations. However, it’s too soon to say that this is the accurate and full number of Da Nang returnees who need to be tested for COVID-19.

Out of this number, 28,454 people have been tested for COVID-19, 9,249 have been found to be negative for the virus, while the rest are still waiting for results.

1,443 Da Nang returnees have been sent to centralized quarantine facilities, while 8,589 residents are being quarantined at home to wait for their COVID-19 test results.

Cabin crew of airlines, railway trains, and ships from overseas as well as other parts of Vietnam have also been given temperature checks and COVID-19 tests.

Ho Chi Minh City enhances preventive efforts in the battle against COVID-19

Illegal immigrants pose great risks to the safety of Saigon as a whole, because any of them can carry the coronavirus. Therefore, local landlords and accommodation providers should cooperate with authorities to keep a tight check on the situation, by reporting details about their guests’ personal details and travel history.

Besides, there are still many domestic travellers returning from Da Nang who have yet to be tested, which means we’re not out of the woods yet.

Until the pandemic is completely suppressed, let’s spare no efforts to keep ourselves and our communities safe. Remember to wear masks in public at all times, sanitize your hands often, and contact local authorities for COVID-19 testing in case you returned from Da Nang after 1st July.

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Cover image adapted from: The Smart Local Vietnam
Cover image is for illustration purposes only

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