At the meeting

During a meeting with permanent Government members in Hanoi on April 9, PM Phuc highlighted the need to consistently prevent, discover, quarantine, zone off, ward off infection sources and effectively treat patients.

About prevention of external infection sources, the PM asked for continuing to closely control border areas, limit and prevent foreigners and Vietnamese from abroad from entering the country, except several special cases. International flights must continue to be halted, except citizen protection cases that are allowed by the PM.

Domestic flights must be minimised while overseas Vietnamese were urged not to return home before April 15. Those who enter the country must be put under quarantine.

The Foreign Ministry was asked to continue adopting suitable citizen protection policies The Health Ministry must enhance online health check-ups, and localities need to take stronger measures to ensure the serious implementation of Decree No.16.

The leader requested that the army and localities must prepare for quarantine sites, and continue training officers to cope with contingency cases.

The Health Ministry was assigned to ensure hygiene in quarantine sites and enough medicines, study the latest and most effective treatment regimes, as well as offer more training courses on the use of ventilators.

It was also responsible for preventing infection at medical facilities and protecting health of medical staff who directly combat the epidemic.

The PM directed producing more medical supplies and equipment, as well as further expanding international cooperation in the field.

He attached importance to promoting scientific research, using information technology in epidemic prevention and control, and developing digital economy on the back of the fourth industrial revolution.

According to the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control, the country now has over 6,400 ventilators. More than 70 businesses are producing medical masks with a daily capacity of 5.72 million and 40,000 N95 masks. However, they are facing difficulties in input materials.

Besides, 40 firms are producing anti-bacterial cloth masks with total capacity of 7 million units a day. So far they have produced 30 million such masks, of which 7 million have been exported./.