Vietnam's Covid-19 hot spot under control, says Deputy PM

The Covid-19 hot spot in Ho Chi Minh City is basically under control, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said at a meeting of the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control on December 7.

Dam praised the Ministry of Health and the city's efforts in successfully tracing all people exposed to Covid-19 patients, getting them tested for the novel coronavirus within 48 hours after the local community transmission cases were confirmed and conducting social distancing.

"This marks great progress in our ability to stamp out the outbreak. However, from the infections in Ho Chi Minh City, it is necessary to carefully consider and analyze the cause to design practical and effective solutions and avoid repeating," Mr. Dam said.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam speaks at a meeting. Photo: VGP

Ho Chi Minh City has gone five days without recording any new infections related to the four latest community transmissions triggered by a Vietnam Airlines flight attendant, Patient No. 1342. The flight attendant had violated his quarantine regulations and infected a friend, who then spread the virus to at least two others.

Mr. Dam asked all agencies to keep tightening prevention measures, especially during the winter and upcoming New Year holidays.

"We have identified that the major risk sources of the virus are immigrants (legal and illegal), and food imported from pandemic-stricken countries," said the DPM.

Vietnam will continues tightening anti-pandemic measures on flights while welcoming foreign experts and its citizens home, Mr. Dam said, adding that in-flight preventive regulations must be complied with as in hospitals and all violations will be strictly dealt with.

At the meeting, experts and members of the steering committee also emphasized the requirement to abide by the mandatory 14-day quarantine for foreigners.

Social distancing at home should be allowed only in places meeting medical requirements, they said.

All those having direct and indirect contact with four latest local coronavirus cases in Ho Chi Minh City have tested negative for the pathogen, the municipal Center for Disease Control said in a report yesterday.

A total of 861 direct contacts and 1,400 indirect ones were tested and not a single result returned positive for Covid-19 so far, the center elaborated.

As the new locally-transmitted Covid-19 cases have been brought under control, more than 6,000 students in Ho Chi Minh City have returned to school after being allowed to stay home for several days to prevent the spread of the disease.

The schools were asked to seriously adopt anti-pandemic measures as required by the Health Ministry, such as conducting body temperature checks, disinfection and wearing masks.

Students have to wear masks while traveling from home to schools and outside classrooms. It is recommended, but not required, that students wear masks in the classroom and during a nap at school.

Since a new wave of local infections broke out on November 30, Vietnam’s current Covid-19 tally stands at 1,367 with 105 active cases, 1,224 recoveries and 35 virus-related deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.