At the national teleconference held in Hanoi on February 1 (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam has been all set for the fight against thenovel coronavirus (nCoV) that has caused a global public health emergency,said Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam on February 1.
At a national teleconference held in Hanoi on the day, Deputy PM Dam, who ishead of the national steering committee for prevention and control of the acuterespiratory disease caused by nCoV, stressed that prevention of the deadlyvirus is a mission of top priority of Party Committees and administrations atall levels, the Vietnam Fatherland Front and organisations.
“Competent authorities must be transparent on all confirmed and suspectedinfection cases as well as those kept in isolation so as to raise publicawareness of the new infectious disease and thus involving them in preventingthe spread of the virus,” he said.
He also ordered ministries, sectors and localities to enhance communicationwork so as to prevent unnecessary panic among local people.
According to Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen, the total number ofinfections of the new coronavirus in Vietnam is six, including two Chinese,three Vietnamese returning from China’s Wuhan city, and a receptionist at a hotelin Khanh Hoa province.
On January 30, the World Health Organisation declared coronavirus outbreak inChina as a global health emergency of international concern.
Tuyen said that the disease has been well controlled in Vietnam so far, addingthe health ministry plans to set up five working groups to inspect cities andprovinces, particularly localities having border gates with China.
Along with recommending the Government to ask relevant ministries and sectorsto ban tours and entry of people coming from coronavirus-hit areas, the healthministry also asked the education sector to consider temporarily closingschools.
Besides, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is asked to reduce thescale and shorten the duration of spring festivals to limit mass gatherings.Meanwhile, the border guard force is requested to prevent Chinese from enter Vietnamthrough forest trails, and the Ministry of Public Security is urged to workwith the health ministry and local authorities to supervise and mete out strictpunishment to any individual who fails to obey the law on prevention andcontrol of infectious diseases./.
VNA
