Unlike four months ago when the 17th Covid-19 patient marked the second wave of infections in Vietnam, the experience and high level of preparedness of local authorities at present would help prevent the spread of the pandemic, according to Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam.
| Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam at the meeting. Photo: VGP. |
In addition to a 4,000-kilometer border with neighboring countries, Vietnam is opening for foreign experts and receiving citizens back from countries hit by Covid-19, therefore, it is inevitable that there could be some local corona infections, Dam said at a meeting of the National Steering Committee on Covid-19 Prevention and Control on July 24, referring to the latest 416th Covid-19 case in Danang.
However, if everyone follows instructions and what they have been trained, the situation would be under control, said Dam, who is also the head of the committee.
Dam added all provinces and cities have been thoroughly trained to deal with any potential Covid-19 outbreak, including those reporting no cases so far.
Whenever a case is found, the local authorities would trigger the contact tracing, isolating and testing to put off the outbreak right at the beginning, Dam stressed.
| Overview off the meeting. Photo: VGP. |
The latest case, however, is a warning sign, Dam added, requesting all forces, including the health system, military, and police to stand ready against any new Covid-19 progression.
The deputy PM stressed the Covid-19 fight is a long one and will only end when a vaccine is succesfully developed.
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs To Anh Dung said to date, Vietnam has organized 60 flights to repatriate some 15,000 citizens. In the coming time, more Vietnamese nationals will be brought home, including 130 infected with the coronavirus now in Equatorial Guinea.
Meanwhile, Acting Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said the priority would be to tighten border control, especially after people have been found to illegally sneak into Vietnam recently.
At a meeting on Saturday morning, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc urged the public to remain calm, and required drastic measures to be taken to avoid Covid-19 resurgence in the country.
