Deputy Minister of health Nguyen Thanh Long said at the meeting Vietnam is at high risk of infection again from external sources. —  VGP Photo

Those people will be staying in Vietnam on public duty or to negotiate and sign trade and investment contacts. The National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control on Thursday assigned deputy minister of foreign affairs To Anh Dung to lead a working group and collaborate with relevant agencies to set up the areas.

At its meeting on Thursday, the committee also agreed to propose resuming commercial flights with countries and territories that have contained the COVID-19 pandemic and have deep multi-faceted relationships with Vietnam.

The committee said Vietnam had basically contained the pandemic but its development around the world kept evolving. Some people seem to have become complacent and neglected prevention measures.

According to deputy minister of health Nguyen Thanh Long, Vietnam has entered the ‘new normal’ phase, realising double targets of containing the pandemic and recovering its socio-economy.

European countries have gradually loosened prevention and control measures and opened borders. Meanwhile, the pandemic development in North and South America, especially the US and Brazil, is getting more complicated.

After nearly two months without any infection, China has faced a second wave of the virus with Beijing becoming a hotspot over the last several days.

As the second wave of the pandemic has hit a number of countries, Vietnam is at high risk of infection again from external sources, Long said.

The committee asked its members to stay vigilant and be prepared for new scenarios. 

Vietnam needs to continue tightening control at borders and manage immigration in order not to spread the virus in the community, the committee said.

There are still COVID-19 patients being treated in Vietnam. More Vietnamese citizens will be repatriated from overseas while foreign experts and skilled labourers will enter Vietnam. Therefore, Vietnam should take careful consideration before making an announcement on the end of the pandemic, according to the committee.

The committee assigned Viettel Military Industry and Telecoms Group and Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) to manage the tracing team to identify new cases and prevent transmission.

Vietnam has so far repatriated more than 8,000 citizens and will continue citizen protection measures in the future.

At the time of the committee’s meeting on Thursday, the world recorded more than 445,900 deaths. Eight countries have more than 10,000 deaths. Thirty countries and territories have kept the fatality rate at zero, including Vietnam.  VNS

Vietnam to continue quarantining foreign experts entering the country

Up to 2,700 foreign experts entering Vietnam in June and July will be quarantined upon arrival, the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control announced in Thursday meeting.