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| Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam speaks at meeting of National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control (Source: VNA) |
Vietnam has basically brought the COVID-19 pandemic under control, with production, business, and daily activities now experiencing a “new normal”, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam told a meeting of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on May 6.
The disease remains a complex matter outside of the country, however, with tens of thousands of new infections and thousands of fatalities each day, Dam noted.
He stressed the importance of maintaining close management over everyone entering the country, to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
The Steering Committee requested the military and public security and health sectors continue consolidating all mechanisms and tools, especially those in information technology, to immediately quarantine new cases in the community as soon as they are detected.
Disease prevention measures should be loosened based on scientific grounds, such as the mode of transmission of the virus and the probabilities of pathogens in the community.
According to health experts, while it cannot be claimed that there are no pathogens in Vietnam at this time, the probability of their existence is very low. Those who test positive again cannot transmit it to others.
The Steering Committee therefore asked the health sector to continue caring for and monitoring patients as well as those given the all-clear, to ensure community safety.
People must continue to wear face masks in public, maintain a distance from others of at least one metre, and regularly wash their hands with antibacterial soap or sanitiser.
According to the committee, students are not required to wear face masks in classrooms but are advised to wear them during breaks and to avoid contact with friends in other classes. Air conditioners can be used in classrooms but doors and windows should be opened at certain times to facilitate air circulation.
The Steering Committee also requested that offices, factories, supermarkets, markets, hospitals, and restaurants maintain prevention measures.
Non-essential services can resume, except for clubs and karaoke bars, if social distancing measures can be ensured.
Meanwhile, the committee said social distancing measures can be eased for public passenger transport, including aviation, while other prevention measures must be maintained.
Vietnam has reported no new COVID-19 infections within the community for 20 days in a row to the morning of May 6, the Steering Committee reported.
The national count still stands at 271 cases, of which 131 were imported and quarantined upon arrival.
A total of 232 patients have recovered or been discharged from hospital, while the remainder are being treated at centrally-run and provincial medical facilities. Most are in a stable condition.
