Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam chairs the meeting of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on April 27 (Photo: VNA) Dam on April 27 stressed the need to continue with measures for COVID-19
prevention, detection, quarantine, sealing off, stamping out and effective treatment.
At a meeting of the National Steering Committee for
Prevention and Control, Dam, who is also head of the committee, pointed
out the high risk of pandemic spreading from neighbouring countries and transmissions
through foreign experts and Vietnamese citizens returning home from abroad.
He cited a report by the health ministry as saying
that a hotel staff member in Yen Bai province who had close contact with
Indian experts was confirmed positive for the coronavirus.
Apart from increasing inspections in border areas,
relevant forces and all-level Party Committees and administrations need to encourage
people, especially border residents, to report returnees from foreign
countries to competent agencies.
Any illegal entrants must be strictly handled, Dam requested,
asking the Ministry of Information and Communications to step up IT application
in order to serve inspections in border areas.
Overseas Vietnamese should limit travelling and observe
preventive measures set by host countries. They can register for returning home
in case of necessity, the Deputy PM said.
At the meeting, the committee proposed the Government not
charge those who enter Vietnam via land borders for COVID-19 testing and
quarantine as most of them are in difficult circumstances.
Inspections at border areas have been tightened to prevent COVID-19. (Photo: VNA)
Vietnam will continue to conduct flights to bring overseas
Vietnamese home, in accordance with the pandemic situation in the region, host
countries and Vietnam, the meeting heard.
Regarding Vietnamese nationals in India, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported
that the Vietnamese Embassy has been working to repatriate those
who want to go home in the time ahead.
The committee asked vulnerable localities, especially southwestern
provinces, to enhance their testing capacity, and assigned relevant ministries
and agencies to review quarantine capacity.
It also suggested the Ministry of Health press ahead with
COVID-19 vaccinations, promptly negotiate to access foreign vaccine supplies,
and step up domestic vaccine research and production.
As of April 27, Vietnam had reported 2,857 COVID-19
cases, including 1,570 domestically-transmitted infections.
As many as 2,516 patients have been given the
all-clear so far. The number of fatalities remains at 35.
The country has gone through 33 consecutive days without domestically-transmitted
cases./.
Source: VietnamPlus
