Prime Minister (PM) Nguyen Xuan Phuc has demanded that the authorities of coronavirus-hit localities nationwide and national government agencies realise the dual goal of stepping up virus elimination in tandem with keeping local production and business activities on stable course.  The heed must be paid to promoting investment attraction, industrial growth, and imports and exports activities, in order to avoid virus-sparked economic disruptions.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chairing an online meeting on Covid-19 prevention and control on Thursday

These statements were released by PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc at a regular virtual meeting on Thursday morning on Covid-19 tackling.

The PM urged a must-do to step up the country's coronavirus response efforts, increase contact tracing and scale up the country's testing programmes, in a bid to bring the virus under control as soon as possible.  In particular, in an attempt to revive the national economy, it is still necessary to resolutely implement the order of ‘new normal’ while the pandemic still lingers, with a heed to wearing face masks in public places, and limiting gatherings if not necessary.

From now onwards, importance should be attached to preventing illegal migration into the country, speeding up research for a vaccine and medicine to treat the deadly virus, and promoting international cooperation, particularly with foreign countries that have had initial results in vaccine studies.

“Don’t let the virus spread on a large-scale at all costs, whilst avoiding any economic disruptions, and protecting businesses from bankruptcy verge”, the national government chief affirmed.

According to reported delivered at the meeting by the Vice Chairman of the Da Nang People's Committee Deputy Head of the municipal Steering Committee for the Covid-19 Prevention and Control, Mr Le Trung Chinh, after Da Nang braced for a second wave of Covid-19 infections late July, 387 Covid-19 patients have been recorded citywide, of whom 164 have been given the all-clear of the deadly virus following their successful treatment.

Till date, about 20% of the city’s population, equivalent to more than 212,000 people, has had their swab and blood serum samples taken for coronavirus testing, with a focus on identified target groups including those living in residential areas under lockdown, workers in industrial parks, stallholders in traditional markets, and stranded foreign tourists, and expats who are working and living in the city.  Till date, more than 11,500 F1 contacts have been placed under quarantine in Da Nang.

A medical workers of the Hoa Vang field hospital handing hospital discharge papers to the recovered people after having made a full recovery.

It is reported that Da Nang has been successful in slowing the spread of the disease so far. The number of new coronavirus cases has been heading downwards over recent days.  Although the pandemic is slowing in Da Nang, the Da Nang authorities are urging people across the city to continue to stay alert against the unpredictable virus.

The Da Nang Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control will put in place appropriate measures to respond to the situation with Covid-19 in the city.

The ultimate goal is to gradually contain the virus resurgence in a drastic way, whilst ensuring the stability of business activities as per Viet Nam's national government’s guidelines.

In particular, the district-level authorities will continue to consider allowing the construction sites of more local projects to resume work in a bid to ensure their on - scheduled progress, provided that strict infection prevention and control measures for Covid-19 must be put in place. 

Included are important local projects which help drive the economic recovery in the city, infrastructure construction works serving the upcoming new academic year and urgent projects for preventing flooding.

By PHAN CHUNG – Translated by A.T