Localities asked to stay vigilant as COVID-19 already exists in community

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam (C) (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – on May 19 requested all
localities to be as the COVID-19 pandemic is creeping in the
community, and stay ready to immediately zone off and quarantine any new
infections.

Addressing a meeting of permanent members of the
, Dam, who is
head of the committee, said that all resources are being mobilised to stamp out
the pandemic in the northern provinces of Bac Giang and Bac Ninh.

According to a report by the Ministry of Health (MoH), Vietnam has
recorded 1,647 COVID-19 cases in 28 provinces and cities since April 27,
including 605 in Bac Giang, 353 in Bac Ninh, and 256 in Hanoi. Most of the new
cases had close contact with confirmed patients, and had been already quarantined
or in locked-down areas.

Deputy Health Minister Tran Van Thuan said that people
should strictly follow the MoH’s 5K message: khau trang (face mask), khu khuan
(disinfection), khoang cach (distance), khong tu tap (no gathering), and khai
bao y te (health declaration), and take part in vaccinations.

Dam highlighted the importance to renew and
strengthen discipline, and tighten management over the reception and quarantine
of foreigners and Vietnamese citizens entering the country.

All quarantine facilities and hotels registered for
quarantine must ensure required conditions, and form a system to manage from
prices to pandemic prevention and control conditions, he noted.

The Deputy PM urged the Ministry of Health to issue guidelines for
combining different testing methods for people entering Vietnam, firstly by
air.

The classification after testing can define who is safe
enough to be quarantined for only seven days at designated facilities, instead
of 14 or 21 days, he stated, adding that it is important for trading and
travel, including welcoming foreign experts and repatriating Vietnamese
citizens stranded aboard due to the pandemic.

He requested the Ministry of Health to issue new
guidelines within a week and immediately organise testing and medical
quarantine management following the new process.

The permanent members of the steering committee also agreed to
assign the military medicine force to undertake testing for people in
military quarantine establishments and the health sector to test people in
civil quarantine facilities and hotels./.