Vietnam basically pushes back Covid-19

Viet Tuan• April 28, 2020 22:25

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc affirmed that "up to this point, it can be said that Vietnam has basically pushed back Covid-19".

Speaking at the Government Standing Committee meeting on Covid-19 prevention on the afternoon of April 28, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc made the above statement.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chairs a meeting of the Government Standing Committee. Photo:VGP

The Prime Minister expressed his joy that there have been no new cases of community transmission for 12 consecutive days. High-risk areas announced at the previous meeting (some districts of Hanoi, Ha Giang, Bac Ninh) have no new cases. With 270 cases of nCoV infection in 100 million people, the disease transmission coefficient in Vietnam is among the lowest in the world.

The Government leader said that Vietnam has effectively implemented appropriate epidemic prevention measures at low cost, which have been highly appreciated by international organizations and countries.

However, the Prime Minister noted that localities must resolutely fight the epidemic, especially during the holidays, and avoid large gatherings. Agencies must ensure a safe holiday for people and ensure that the Covid-19 prevention system operates 100%; and focus forces on controlling the risk of infection from outside.

The Prime Minister noted the need to relax and restore social activities, start and accelerate economic development in areas with high safety factors, based on plans to prevent and quickly contain the epidemic if detected. Chairmen of local People's Committees may consider relaxing some other sectors to develop production and business.

Industrial parks, tourist areas, densely populated urban areas, markets, supermarkets, and places with high traffic density and trade need to be controlled and anti-epidemic measures implemented.

To facilitate production and business, especially in the tourism, catering and aviation sectors, localities should consider not applying disease prevention measures that are stricter than the Prime Minister's requirements.

The Prime Minister agreed to allow the export of medical masks, Covid-19 treatment drugs, and medical supplies in the spirit of ensuring quality and maintaining national prestige.

According to the report of the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control, there are 5 cases of recovered patients who tested positive again and are being monitored at medical facilities. "That shows the complexity of the infection mechanism of nCoV, so it is necessary to evaluate and properly implement prevention and control measures to control the risk of infection, especially for cases infected in the community, but showing no symptoms or mild symptoms," the Steering Committee commented.

The Steering Committee also announced that the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, in collaboration with Nagasaki University (Japan), has researched and developed antibody testing reagents (often used for rapid testing for nCoV). Vietnam's reagents use ELISA testing machines equipped from central to district-level medical facilities. This reagent has high sensitivity and specificity (about 95% if the person is infected after 8 days), and is cheap, about 5 USD per reagent.

The Ministry of Health is completing procedures to certify this biological product for mass production. If successful, Vietnam will be the fifth country in the world to successfully produce and commercialize antibody testing biological products.

With two types of biological products (used for testing for virus genes by machine and for finding antibodies), Vietnam will be proactive in testing, without needing to purchase additional machines, testing equipment, biological products, and other necessary chemicals.

As of the afternoon of April 28, the world recorded more than 3 million people infected with nCoV in 218 countries and territories; 211,600 people died. Of the 270 people infected with nCoV in Vietnam, 222 have recovered, 48 are being treated.