COVID 19 (CORONA VIRUS) UPDATES FOR ALL NATIONALITIES & STATUS

robertbottle30 wrote:

This is getting frustrating!!! Is / Are affected countries especially Vietnam ever going to open there borders again to tourists??? I'm so looking forward to moving to Vietnam to retire and not have to work to be able to afford food and transportation.

If you want to speed up the opening of Vietnam, you need to lobby your government to donate more doses of vaccine to the rest of the world.  The US does seem to distribute its vaccine donations through the COVAX agency which avoids politically based favoritism.  Actually direct donation might have aided Vietnam more as it is seen now in the US as a containing rival to China which apparently distributes its vaccines for political advantage.  The more doses distributed moves the opening date sooner.  The other thing you could do is lobby your congressman and president for the relaxation of intellectual property protections held by big pharma so that a country like Vietnam could produce its own vaccines.

I have based my answer on the fact that your profile identifies you as an American.  If you want to move to Vietnam, start writing those letters.

robertbottle30 wrote:

This is getting frustrating!!! Is / Are affected countries especially Vietnam ever going to open there borders again to tourists??? I'm so looking forward to moving to Vietnam to retire and not have to work to be able to afford food and transportation.

You may have a little bit of homework to do about visas in Vietnam and be aware that those rules may be changing; becoming even more restrictive.

First thing, you can't live here "retired" on a tourist visa legally.

Under recent banking rules you won't have any ability to have a bank account, no matter what people tell you they have been able to do in the past

You can try to keep extending tourist visas, but one of the new rules is that you're going to have to check in with immigration once a month, regardless of the length of your Visa.

And you definitely cannot work in any way shape or form illegally while on a tourist visa.

So the first thing you may want to decide is if you want to be a tourist or if you want to be retired?

If you want to be retired and you have the bucks (3 billion Vietnam Dong/about $130,217.00 US Dollars) for an investor visa, you can come on down much sooner and get a temporary resident certificate.

Jlgarbutt wrote:

...Remember we were all told covid- is not airborne and can only survive upto 14 days outside the human body... And yet recently WHO confirms it is airborne and isolation should be 21 days .

No, we were never all told that -- scientists knew from the start how it propagated and it is not any different from other related viruses.  You are referencing the early debate about how much the virus propagates by contact versus airborne particles and whether airborne propagation was primarily through large droplets or aerosol.  This matters for the recommendations on mask-wearing and social distancing, but there was never any doubt that it was transmitted both ways.  You can get it by shaking hands with an infected person and then touching your nose or mouth, and you can get it by breathing in the exhalations of the infected person.

How long you isolate has nothing to do with the survival of viruses outside the body.  It has to do with how long the body can continue to shed the virus after the infection appears to have passed.  It was thought that 14 days should in most cases be enough, but events have shown that 21 days is safer.

Also, science, unlike religion, is not about absolute proclamations but rather a steady refinement of what is the most likely explanation for things.  "We were told" will almost always change over time, at least a little -- don't expect absolutes.

Anyone who feels that their off-topic opinions about COVID-19 are being "censored" *might* want to post your arguments in THIS THREAD

No guarantees that moderators will allow everything you post...

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

You may have a little bit of homework to do about visas in Vietnam and be aware that those rules may be changing; becoming even more restrictive.

First thing, you can't live here "retired" on a tourist visa legally.

Under recent banking rules you won't have any ability to have a bank account, no matter what people tell you they have been able to do in the past

You can try to keep extending tourist visas, but one of the new rules is that you're going to have to check in with immigration once a month, regardless of the length of your Visa.

And you definitely cannot work in any way shape or form illegally while on a tourist visa.

So the first thing you may want to decide is if you want to be a tourist or if you want to be retired?

If you want to be retired and you have the bucks (3 billion Vietnam Dong/about $130,217.00 US Dollars) for an investor visa, you can come on down much sooner and get a temporary resident certificate.

I'd say that it is more that retiring here on a tourist visa is neither illegal or legal, but rather a gray area  that has been tolerated for years until recently.  The government only said that tourist visas should be limited to a few months at most, and enforced that by requiring an exit every three months.  They didn't prevent you from returning immediately.  The recent changes have to do more with the pandemic than any actual policy change, in my opinion, but we'll see when things get back to normal.

You can get a bank account on a tourist visa -- I just got one in December.  It is quite limited, though -- you can't deposit cash, you have to send cash from a foreign source -- and you can't get a credit or debit card.  At my bank, Vietcombank, you also can't take advantage of certain other benefits, like automatic payments and waiving of fees with a sufficient balance.

Fancybear wrote:

...It's $700 a month here versus $900 a month in UK based on my knowledge of both countries.  You'll save $2400 a year. Then add in the flight back and forward every year or 2 and it starts to look not much of a saving at all. People say it is cheap but once added up, it's not that cheap.

$900 a month, if you're talking US dollars, is below poverty level in the US at $10,800 a year.  The US poverty level is $12,880 a year.  Is it that much cheaper to live in the UK, and are UK pensions that low?  Someone in the US who worked minimum wage their entire life would still get $11,757 a year from SS.

paulmsn wrote:

Fancybear wrote:

...It's $700 a month here versus $900 a month in UK based on my knowledge of both countries.  You'll save $2400 a year. Then add in the flight back and forward every year or 2 and it starts to look not much of a saving at all. People say it is cheap but once added up, it's not that cheap.

$900 a month, if you're talking US dollars, is below poverty level in the US at $10,800 a year.  The US poverty level is $12,880 a year.  Is it that much cheaper to live in the UK, and are UK pensions that low?  Someone in the US who worked minimum wage their entire life would still get $11,757 a year from SS.

The UK state pension 2021 if you have paid your full National Insurance contributions is 179.60 GBP per week so lets say 179.60 x 1.37 x 52...........12,794 usd PA. per person. A wife with no NI contributions will get the base pension of 137.00 gbp per week with various top ups if she is a widow.
Far as I know everyone in UK qualifies for the base pension even if they have never worked.

As a UK expat living in Vietnam my full UK state pension was frozen at the pension rate on the day I retired 2015.

I am one of the "lucky" ones that after 40 plus years working in offshore oil & gas exploration I have a company pension but I pay 20% tax on that pension to the UK government even although I am registered as a non resident for tax in UK. The reason for that is because my private pension provider is UK based.

I came from Auckland. I paid $300 a week to rent one room. Here I pay $800 a month to rent a house. That extra $400 a month goes a long way.

goodolboy wrote:

...I am one of the "lucky" ones that after 40 plus years working in offshore oil & gas exploration I have a company pension but I pay 20% tax on that pension to the UK government even although I am registered as a non resident for tax in UK. The reason for that is because my private pension provider is UK based.

So if you had worked for Statoil, you wouldn't be paying the 20%?  Or maybe you'd be paying Norway. 

I have to pay taxes on my pension, but it only comes to somewhat over 6%.  I do also have to pay taxes on about half of my SS.

paulmsn wrote:

goodolboy wrote:

...I am one of the "lucky" ones that after 40 plus years working in offshore oil & gas exploration I have a company pension but I pay 20% tax on that pension to the UK government even although I am registered as a non resident for tax in UK. The reason for that is because my private pension provider is UK based.

So if you had worked for Statoil, you wouldn't be paying the 20%?  Or maybe you'd be paying Norway. 

I have to pay taxes on my pension, but it only comes to somewhat over 6%.  I do also have to pay taxes on about half of my SS.

No I actually worked for an American company (internationally) but being UK citizen the private pension is with a UK pension provider. In UK you you have a tax allowance on your earnings (incl pensions) after you pass that allowance you pay 20% on the extra.......think that clarifies it better I actually have another pension pot from a Canadian company but wont take it because of the tax implications so at the moment its just like a life insurance that my kids will get when I snuff it.

robertbottle30 wrote:

This is getting frustrating!!! Is / Are affected countries especially Vietnam ever going to open there borders again to tourists??? I'm so looking forward to moving to Vietnam to retire and not have to work to be able to afford food and transportation.

Are you a vaccinated professional footballer, expert, business executive, or diplomat willing to put off retirement?  If so, potentially good news for you.

https://vietnamnews.vn/society/980992/7 … alled.html

"The categories of arrivals allowed in this pilot programme are foreign experts, business executives, highly skilled workers (grouped under the term ‘experts’) along with their relatives, foreign students, athletes, diplomatic guests, or people on business trips, etc."

As far as I know there is no exception yet to the border closure for tourists, or for spouses, parents, and children of non-expert Vietnamese citizens.   

In other news, they started mass testing in my district again yesterday.  We haven't been called yet.

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

You can try to keep extending tourist visas, but one of the new rules is that you're going to have to check in with immigration once a month, regardless of the length of your Visa.

Does this apply only to tourist visas, or to TRC's as well?  Do you have a link?

There appears to be a shift towards attracting short term tourists, business ventures, large scale investors, and VIPs, and a shift away from attracting long term backpackers and retirees.  It seems like things have been moving in that direction for years, but the pandemic sped up the process.

The work permit exception for spouses of Vietnamese citizens looks like it could be useful, I'm hoping that's a sign of things to come for family.

paulmsn wrote:

Andybris2020 wrote:

paulmsn wrote:

I'm starting to agree.  I can't believe the utter nonsense being posted.

You mean not in line with your thoughts so report and delete how very totalitarian of you.
Sorry for having a different point of view than you.

No, You have a biased point of view.  You want lockdowns to end, and that's the basis for all your claims, not science or reason.  Not all opinions are equal and yours lacks that backing, as does Fancybear's in a more egregious manner.  Using a percentage instead of the actual number of deaths to minimize the danger of the pandemic is illogical, coldhearted and dishonest, and calling COVID-19 flu is equally dishonest. 

The pandemic is the worst thing to hit the world since World War 2 -- we have dealt with it less strenuously than we should have, but you would have us do even less.

My opinion is just as biased as yours or anyone else who has their own opinion, makes it no less valued, the percentages quoted were logical as they were from vnnews website from a few days ago so they were the same logic as vn gov used,,, so sorry but facts dont care about your feelings,, they said only 1.3%  not me. They did not try to minimize anything they just gave the facts, 68% dont get any symptoms,, so my opinion was not brought into it, i only quoted what i had read and then said its not the end of the world relax we have vaccine,,, go get a jab and the world is looking better,,, be happy for what we have and stop talking doom and gloom.
As for which sites can be quoted from and which cant maybe post a list of your so said reliable sotes so we know which biased sites can or cant be quoted, seeing that all of them have some inbuild bias.
If you dont like someones facts, relax take a deep breath its only a forum.

Andybris2020 wrote:

My opinion is just as biased as yours or anyone else who has their own opinion, makes it no less valued, the percentages quoted were logical as they were from vnnews website from a few days ago so they were the same logic as vn gov used,,, so sorry but facts dont care about your feelings,, they said only 1.3%  not me. They did not try to minimize anything they just gave the facts, 68% dont get any symptoms,, so my opinion was not brought into it, i only quoted what i had read and then said its not the end of the world relax we have vaccine,,, go get a jab and the world is looking better,,, be happy for what we have and stop talking doom and gloom.
As for which sites can be quoted from and which cant maybe post a list of your so said reliable sotes so we know which biased sites can or cant be quoted, seeing that all of them have some inbuild bias.
If you dont like someones facts, relax take a deep breath its only a forum.

No, opinions based on ignorance are of less value, period, and you show that ignorance when you  repeat what you think you read instead of providing a link.  68% is dead wrong -- I think you misunderstood what you read, but since you don't provide the links, we don't know how you came to your errant beliefs.

robertbottle30 wrote:

This is getting frustrating!!! Is / Are affected countries especially Vietnam ever going to open there borders again to tourists??? I'm so looking forward to moving to Vietnam to retire and not have to work to be able to afford food and transportation.

Retirement visa doesn't exist in Vietnam, so if you'll have a hard time finding a way to stay here long term unless:

- Before leaving the States, you're married to a Vietnamese who became US citizen via naturalisation or an American born with Vietnamese ancestry.  If this applies to you, you'll be qualified for Visa Exemption Certificate (VEC), which has 5 year validation with 6 months per stay.

- After arriving in Vietnam, you become married to a Vietnamese national.  This scenario will give you a renewable 3-year Temporary Residence Card (TRC).  After a few renewals, you can apply for Permanent Resident status.

- You have an investment visa (ĐT).  The minimum requirement fund for ĐT3 is $130k if you want to apply for a 3 year TRC.

IOW, your frustration is aimed at a wrong target.  Even when Vietnam opens its border to all and sundry, your (and many others') chance to retire in Vietnam is not a certainty until the government changes its Immigration laws -- and to be frank, I don't see that happens in the next decade.

So as of today the "fat & broke" guy on youtube is telling his followers that every day HCMC is reporting 1,000 new covid cases. From what I can gather this morning there was 230 over the last 24 hours. Can anyone clarify please.

goodolboy wrote:

So as of today the "fat & broke" guy on youtube is telling his followers that every day HCMC is reporting 1,000 new covid cases. From what I can gather this morning there was 230 over the last 24 hours. Can anyone clarify please.

In the daily message that Bluezone sent out this morning, the number of cases in Saigon since the beginning of this 4th phase, or April 27 to be exact, is a little more than 6900.  In my calculation, that equals 182 cases each day.

I wouldn’t bet a single đồng on anything Fat & Broke said. My husband and I have met him (not on purpose), have watched him record one of his YouTube episodes and solicit donations from viewers while being a guest of another American expat who paid all the expenses for his two or three day stay in VT. To say we were not impressed with him and the things he uttered on YouTube that evening is an understatement.

goodolboy wrote:

So as of today the "fat & broke" guy on youtube is telling his followers that every day HCMC is reporting 1,000 new covid cases. From what I can gather this morning there was 230 over the last 24 hours. Can anyone clarify please.

https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/vietn … 04579.html

Rick

Budman1 wrote:

https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/vietnam-s-daily-covid-tally-reaches-new-high-at-1-089-4304579.html

Rick

Yep, 1089 is the highest daily tally for the entire country. F&B sad it's 1000 a day for Saigon.  Several of his followers asked why his videos are not in the news section instead of the regular section, and one person said F&B is his source for VN news!

It looks like he uses 4 online payment sites to solicit donations for his living.  "I sold everything I owned and moved to Saigon to live a new life.  Best choice I've ever made in life!"  Incredible.

Ciambella wrote:

Budman1 wrote:

https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/vietnam-s-daily-covid-tally-reaches-new-high-at-1-089-4304579.html

Rick

Yep, 1089 is the highest daily tally for the entire country. F&B sad it's 1000 a day for Saigon.  Several of his followers asked why his videos are not in the news section instead of the regular section, and one person said F&B is his source for VN news!

It looks like he uses 4 online payment sites to solicit donations for his living.  "I sold everything I owned and moved to Saigon to live a new life.  Best choice I've ever made in life!"  Incredible.

I think he also asks for donations for some orphanage charity he either runs or collects money for.

robertbottle30 wrote:

This is getting frustrating!!! Is / Are affected countries especially Vietnam ever going to open there borders again to tourists??? I'm so looking forward to moving to Vietnam to retire and not have to work to be able to afford food and transportation.

As mentioned, Vietnam does not offer a retirement visa. Thus, you should focus on those countries in the region that have a bona fide retirement visa, which as far as I know include Thailand, Malaysia and Cambodia. I really have no idea about the Philippines and Indonesia.

In addition, there are two countries in the region that you can currently travel to: Thailand and Cambodia. However, quarantine, etc. is required

You can check the Tourism Authority of Thailand website for details:

https://www.tatnews.org

Cambodia's requirements and restrictions are quite similar, I believe.

Also, you can inquire on those countries' forums on this site:

Thailand:
https://www.expat.com/forum/viewforum.php?id=211

Cambodia:
https://www.expat.com/forum/viewforum.php?id=141

Malaysia:
https://www.expat.com/forum/viewforum.php?id=193

More positive developments



https://www.reuters.com/business/health … 021-10-01/

Hi, the part about TRC, just how many is 'a few renewals'?, In total, so far, I have done 2, how many more to qualify to Try apply PRC? Thanks.

To me this action is worse than any misinformation I might have to figure out for myself.

Scott McKnight wrote:

To me this action is worse than any misinformation I might have to figure out for myself.

@Scott McKnight Unless you put their comment in a quote or use their name no one knows who or what you are referring to and can answer or comment on your post.

My message request to Ciambella, re:  answer 2 July 2021 about staying long term in VN....

Swee Loke wrote:

My message request to Ciambella, re:  answer 2 July 2021 about staying long term in VN....

Check your PM's

Hi
My name is Arthur, I'm a Kiwi and we've finally got an MIQ isolation voucher to return to NZ.
Due to having to stay here an extra 3 months longer than our first date to leave -June-
we have NZ dollars in cash and now need to change $2000 Nz dollars cash toVietnamese dong.
The exchange joint on Nguyen Hue we usually use is not open (it's Vietcomb Bank affiliated).

Any Kiwis returning? amd need NZ dollars??
Any ideas?
Nz dollars are difficult to get in Saigon -so gold shops are not an option. They don't want NZ dollars.

Any ideas gratefully received
Thanks guys
Arthur

brocaswine wrote:

Hi
My name is Arthur, I'm a Kiwi and we've finally got an MIQ isolation voucher to return to NZ.
Due to having to stay here an extra 3 months longer than our first date to leave -June-
we have NZ dollars in cash and now need to change $2000 Nz dollars cash toVietnamese dong.
The exchange joint on Nguyen Hue we usually use is not open (it's Vietcomb Bank affiliated).

Any Kiwis returning? amd need NZ dollars??
Any ideas?
Nz dollars are difficult to get in Saigon -so gold shops are not an option. They don't want NZ dollars.

Any ideas gratefully received
Thanks guys
Arthur

PM sent

brocaswine wrote:

Hi
My name is Arthur, I'm a Kiwi and we've finally got an MIQ isolation voucher to return to NZ.

I won't include a US link as if you are a Kiwi you probably have better sites, but the US press has reported that NZ is giving up on absolute Covid free isolation.  I was rather skeptical that VN could contain the virus the second time around due to the higher transmissibility of the Delta variant, but the country has done admirably well under the circumstances.  If Vietnam can continue vaccinating at a high pace it could beat the next wave.

In another vein, the US approved a third dose of the Pfizer product.  Interestingly an article in The Atlantic (likely paywalled so no link) explained that the Pfizer product may have needed a third dose because its initial dosage was reduced to speed up approval.   Many, self included, had considered Pfizer to be the "Cadillac" but that may not be entirely true.

Cadilac or Fiat, either are better than being towed to the junk yard.

VNEXPRESS:-
It is expected to reopen 10 domestic routes from October 10

"The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam plans to reopen 10 domestic routes from October 10, including no route to Noi Bai (Hanoi).

According to a representative of the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam, as of October 6, out of 20 localities that have been consulted on reopening routes, the Department has received comments from 13 provinces and cities.

Of these, 6 localities have fully agreed with the plan, including Dien Bien, Khanh Hoa, Phu Yen, Binh Dinh, Thanh Hoa and Phu Quoc (Kien Giang province); 4 localities agreed to each part of the plan including Ho Chi Minh City, Dak Lak, Nghe An and Thua Thien Hue.

3 localities have not yet agreed to implement the plan, including Hanoi, Hai Phong and Gia Lai."








Link to Story

Andybris2020 wrote:

VNEXPRESS:-
It is expected to reopen 10 domestic routes from October 10

"The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam plans to reopen 10 domestic routes from October 10, including no route to Noi Bai (Hanoi).

According to a representative of the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam, as of October 6, out of 20 localities that have been consulted on reopening routes, the Department has received comments from 13 provinces and cities.

Of these, 6 localities have fully agreed with the plan, including Dien Bien, Khanh Hoa, Phu Yen, Binh Dinh, Thanh Hoa and Phu Quoc (Kien Giang province); 4 localities agreed to each part of the plan including Ho Chi Minh City, Dak Lak, Nghe An and Thua Thien Hue.

3 localities have not yet agreed to implement the plan, including Hanoi, Hai Phong and Gia Lai."








Link to Story

June 2022.... or so the news sire CNN claims.. fingers crossee guys everything will be open

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/ … index.html

Jlgarbutt wrote:

Andybris2020 wrote:

VNEXPRESS:-
It is expected to reopen 10 domestic routes from October 10

"The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam plans to reopen 10 domestic routes from October 10, including no route to Noi Bai (Hanoi).

According to a representative of the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam, as of October 6, out of 20 localities that have been consulted on reopening routes, the Department has received comments from 13 provinces and cities.

Of these, 6 localities have fully agreed with the plan, including Dien Bien, Khanh Hoa, Phu Yen, Binh Dinh, Thanh Hoa and Phu Quoc (Kien Giang province); 4 localities agreed to each part of the plan including Ho Chi Minh City, Dak Lak, Nghe An and Thua Thien Hue.

3 localities have not yet agreed to implement the plan, including Hanoi, Hai Phong and Gia Lai."








Link to Story

June 2022.... or so the news sire CNN claims.. fingers crossee guys everything will be open

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/ … index.html

Hanoi — Vietnam is planning to reopen key tourist destinations to vaccinated visitors from countries deemed a low COVID-19 risk from December, the government said on Wednesday, October 6, ahead of a full resumption targeted for June next year.