Religious communities in Vietnam have been asked to step up COVID-19 prevention and control measures amid complex developments of the pandemic around the world.

The Health Department of Ho Chi Minh City on March 17 officially put into operation a 300-bed hospital specialized in treating acute respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) in Can Gio district.

Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh has affirmed that Vietnam, as a leading garment exporter, is able to meet demand for face masks of people in the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak.

Vietnam has been consulting ASEAN member nations and partners about the possibility of postponing the 36th ASEAN Summit and related meetings in early April as scheduled due to complicated developments of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Samsung Electronics has announced the temporary shutdown of its factory in Gumi, South Korea and has relocated the production line of some high-end smartphone models to Vietnam.

Vietnam will suspend the granting of visa to foreigners for 30 days beginning 00:00 on March 18, the Foreign Ministry announced on March 17, stressing that the move aims at curbing the spread of COVID-19 in the community.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc has called upon every citizen, especially businesspeople and overseas Vietnamese, to strengthen solidarity and make greater contributions to help the country overcome difficulties in the fight against COVID-19.

Covid-19 has had a big impacts on all aspects of the economy and life. However, the effects vary among different business fields.

The Centre of Overseas Labour has decided to launch an online Korean language test for Vietnamese workers to be sent to the Republic of Korea (RoK) as part of the Employment Permit System (EPS) programme.

UK Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth Ward has recently made a clip in Vietnamese language, thanking Vietnam for its support for British citizens and tourists amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

The fees for fast interbank fund transfers will be cut for the second time this year to promote cashless payments amid the rapid spread of the COVID-19 outbreak, the National Payment Corporation of Vietnam (NAPAS) announced on March 16.

Vietnam Airlines said on March 16 that it has created the most favourable conditions for Vietnamese citizens in Europe who want to return home amid the complicated developments of the COVID-19.

The Ministry of Health on March 16 announced it has found eight flights with passengers on board contracting COVID-19.

Vietnam is now at the “golden stage” of COVID-19 prevention and control, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said on March 16.

The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) will cut its policy rates starting from March 17 in an attempt to support the economy which has been hurt by the COVID-19 outbreak.

It's unprecedented, but now students all over Viet Nam have had their Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday extended to more than a month.

While COVID-19 will disrupting FMCG businesses, not all product categories and retailers will see a negative impact, according to Kantar Worldpanel Vietnam.

Local lenders are considering waiving interest rates of outstanding loans worth VND185 trillion (US$7.94 billion) for 34,350 customers.

The Ministry of Health on March 16 evening announced the latest case of COVID-19, the 61st, in the country.

With greater liquidity, investors would look for markets deemed safe with less negative impacts from the Covid-19 epidemic.