Hanoi (VNA) – The national steering committee for COVID-19 prevention and control has asked ministries and localities to stay vigilant and take drastic measures against the disease.

Deputy Health Minister Do Xuan Tuyen, deputy head of the committee, on February 28 signed a document urging stronger measures to fight the fast-spreading epidemic.

Epidemic control must be tightened right at border gates and areas so as to swiftly detect suspected cases and keep them under quarantine, the committee said, stressing that those returning home from virus-hit regions of China, the Republic of Korea (RoK) and other countries will be quarantined in line with instructions of the Ministry of Health.

The Ministry of National Defence was requested to coordinate with localities in the quarantine work.

The fatherland front and socio-political organisations will meet families of Vietnamese in the RoK, asking them to encourage their relatives to continue their work and study in the host country and obey recommendations and measures set by the Korean government.

Those with symptoms of fever, cough and breathing difficulties need to go to RoK medical facilities for checkup and treatment, the document said.

Police, health sector and authorities in localities were tasked with making a list of people who come from or transit in the RoK as from February 11 to facilitate the epidemic control.

As of February 27, 82,384 cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed in 52 countries and territories worldwide, with 2,814 fatalities. Most of the infections were recorded in China (78,498), the RoK (1,766), Italy (655), Japan (207), Iran (245) and Singapore (95)./.