HCMC – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has said he wants social distancing measures to be eased to help restore daily life as the coronavirus pandemic is under control in the country.
Speaking at a Government meeting this morning, May 7, Phuc said that Vietnam has reported no new local coronavirus infections for the past 21 days and students nationwide have returned to school.
The prime minister stated that schools should not ask students to wear face masks and anti-spitting protective hats in classrooms, especially during the hot summer days. He also agreed with the resumption of nonessential services, except dance clubs, bars and karaoke parlors.
Two infection hotspots—Ha Loi Village in Me Linh District, Hanoi, and Pho La Commune in Dong Van District, Ha Giang Province—have been cleared of the coronavirus after a 28-day lockdown, which ended on May 6.
The only new coronavirus case reported in the country recently is a foreign expert who arrived in Vietnam for work and was immediately quarantined on entry. Therefore, there is no risk of community spread.
The prime minister pointed out that even though Vietnam has put Covid-19 under control, the relevant agencies and citizens should still be watchful as it is still spreading and causing fatalities elsewhere in the world. The pandemic is developing unpredictably in some Southeast Asian countries and there is no vaccine for the virus.
The national steering committee for Covid-19 infection prevention and control suggested that Vietnam maintain tight immigration rules. People entering the country must be put under a mandatory 14-day quarantine on entry.
