At a meeting of the National Steering Committee forCOVID-19 Prevention and Control, Dam, who is also head of the committee, pointedout the high risk of pandemic spreading from neighbouring countries and transmissionsthrough foreign experts and Vietnamese citizens returning home from abroad.
He cited a report by the health ministry as sayingthat a hotel staff member in Yen Bai province who had close contact withIndian experts was confirmed positive for the coronavirus.
Apart from increasing inspections in border areas,relevant forces and all-level Party Committees and administrations need to encouragepeople, especially border residents, to report returnees from foreigncountries to competent agencies.
Any illegal entrants must be strictly handled, Dam requested,asking the Ministry of Information and Communications to step up IT applicationin order to serve inspections in border areas.
Overseas Vietnamese should limit travelling and observepreventive measures set by host countries. They can register for returning homein case of necessity, the Deputy PM said.
At the meeting, the committee proposed the Government notcharge those who enter Vietnam via land borders for COVID-19 testing andquarantine as most of them are in difficult circumstances.
Vietnam will continue to conduct flights to bring overseasVietnamese home, in accordance with the pandemic situation in the region, hostcountries and Vietnam, the meeting heard.
Regarding Vietnamese nationals in India, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reportedthat the Vietnamese Embassy has been working to repatriate thosewho want to go home in the time ahead.
The committee asked vulnerable localities, especially southwesternprovinces, to enhance their testing capacity, and assigned relevant ministriesand agencies to review quarantine capacity.
It also suggested the Ministry of Health press ahead withCOVID-19 vaccinations, promptly negotiate to access foreign vaccine supplies,and step up domestic vaccine research and production.
As of April 27, Vietnam had reported 2,857 COVID-19cases, including 1,570 domestically-transmitted infections.
As many as 2,516 patients have been given theall-clear so far. The number of fatalities remains at 35.
The country has gone through 33 consecutive days without domestically-transmittedcases./.