NATIONWIDE SOCIAL DISTANCING NOT YET NECESSARY: DEPUTY PM

Given the current Covid-19 situation in Vietnam and the country’s on-going efforts to cushion the spread of the disease, it is not yet necessary to impose nationwide social distancing, said Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam at a press briefing today, May 11.

The head of the national steering committee for Covid-19 infection prevention and control asserted that Vietnam has been maintaining its anti-pandemic strategies that have proved effective, including detecting, contact tracing, identifying affected areas, quarantining and providing intensive and effective treatment, reported Tien Phong Online.

Thanks to the entire country’s efforts, Vietnam is still among the countries that have best handled Covid-19, adding that it recorded positive economic growth and Vietnam’s position was elevated on the global map, Dam said.

The country’s locally-infected cases have continued to rise in recent days. However, these cases had been traced and quarantined earlier, thus posing little risk of further community transmission.

In response to reporters’ questions about different reactions to the pandemic among virus-hit provinces and cities during the latest coronavirus resurgence, the deputy PM said that the localities took appropriate measures based on the health sector’s guidelines in order to achieve the dual task of fighting the pandemic and ensuring socio-economic growth.

It is crucial to actively prepare a sufficient amount of medical equipment to deal with the disease. The Government had earlier mapped out a scenario in which there would be 10,000 infections, but it has now prepared for other worst-case scenarios with up to 30,000 infections, he added.

Source: The Saigon Times