Vietnam determined to prevent COVID-19 as winter approaches

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam at the meeting (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) - The National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control has expressed its determination to prevent a new COVID-19 outbreak as winter nears.

During a meeting on November 2 chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and committee head Vu Duc Dam, participants stressed that wearing masks is an important and simple way to prevent the spread of the pandemic and should be done not only in major urban areas but in all wards, communes and townships, in line with the Prime Minister’s Directive.

Hanoi and HCM City authorities have urged people to consider wearing a mask in public places as compulsory and they will seriously deal with violations, especially at medical and lodging facilities, shopping centres, and public transport means.

Participants also discussed measures to effectively realise the Government’s policy of resuming commercial flights with several countries to welcome back foreign experts and investors to Vietnam, contributing to fulfilling the dual goal of fighting the pandemic and promoting economic development.

As of November 2, Vietnam had gone through 61 days without any community transmission of COVID-19. Pandemic hotbeds have been basically brought under control.

The Health Ministry has introduced a map of safe living with COVID-19, at www.antoancovid.vn, to control any outbreak nationwide. A total of 1,530 hospitals, 145 quarantine facilities, over 6,500 hotels of three-star standard or higher, and more than 53,800 schools have been updated on the map.

It has also stepped up vaccine research and production and the use of advanced technologies in the fight against COVID-19.

The ministry has established six groups to oversee SARS-CoV-2 testing in Hanoi on October 30, in Nha Trang on November 3, and in HCM City on November 6./.