Ministry of Health recommends extending social isolation period
The Deputy Minister of Health said that social distancing is an important measure to control the Covid-19 epidemic, so the Ministry proposed that the Prime Minister consider extending the duration of Directive 16.
On the afternoon of April 6, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chaired a meeting with localities on the situation of Covid-19 prevention and control. The Prime Minister said that implementing social isolation is necessary in the current context. He asked ministries and sectors to discuss and consider whether to extend this period of social distancing.
"From now until the 15th, we must not be subjective in preventing and fighting the epidemic. Besides implementing Directives 15 and 16, we need to have more proactive measures to recover the economy after the epidemic," Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc directed.
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Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chaired a meeting with localities. Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Press Center. |
At the meeting, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Long, Deputy Minister of Health, proposed that the Prime Minister consider extending the period of social isolation after the end of the 2-week implementation period. The Deputy Minister of Health stated that this is an important measure to control Covid-19.
"Due to the implementation of social isolation, the number of infections is expected to not increase rapidly in the coming time, but only a few cases will appear. Vietnam is controlling the Covid-19 epidemic well, and there have been no deaths yet," Mr. Nguyen Thanh Long emphasized.
The Ministry of Health proposes to quarantine and test all entrants who are diplomats, civil servants, and experts, even if they have a negative test result. Special cases requiring specific solutions must be consulted with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Defense, and Ministry of Transport.
In the coming time, the Ministry of Health requested the Ministry of Transport to direct the Civil Aviation Authority to notify all airlines to pick up people to return home and not to carry people into Vietnam, except in special cases.
The Ministry of Public Security needs to direct local police to closely monitor the situation of foreign immigrants in order to make a list and apply appropriate management measures.
"Currently, there are a number of people entering the country without identification papers, who after quarantine do not know where to go, and do not have relatives in Vietnam. We have proposed that there should be a temporary shelter for this group of people in the southern region," the Deputy Minister of Health informed.
As of April 6, the total number of Covid-19 infections in Vietnam is 241, 91 patients have been cured. Of the 5 severe patients, only 2 cases still need ventilators: patient 91 (British pilot) being treated at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Ho Chi Minh City and an 88-year-old patient at the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases.
