Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam onOctober 15 demanded serious compliance with rules on the management of peopleentering Vietnam so as to prevent the transmission of COVID-19.

At the meeting of the national steeringcommittee for COVID-19 prevention and control in Hanoi, Deputy Minister ofHealth Do Xuan Tuyen reported that as of October 15 afternoon, 38.8 millioninfection cases had been reported around the world, including nearly 1.1million deaths.

Europe is facing a new outbreak as the number ofnew COVID-19 cases has been rising sharply there. Many European countries havere-imposed measures in efforts to contain the resurgence, he noted.

Meanwhile, Vietnam has gone through 43consecutive days without new community infections. It has reported 1,124 casesof COVID-19 so far, including 35 fatalities.

Tuyen said the Ministry of Health (MoH) hasworked with other ministries and sectors to draft procedures for the entry,monitoring and health quarantine of those entering Vietnam from “safecountries” via commercial flights.

At present, people entering Vietnam have toundergo COVID-19 testing three times, instead of twice like previously regulated,so as to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The MoH is managing information about thoseentering the country, and it will provide access rights for local authoritiesand health and police forces in the time ahead so as to facilitate the monitoringof these persons in their localities, the deputy minister added.

At the meeting, experts emphasised three groupsthat may trigger COVID-19 transmission: people entering Vietnam illegally,those entering legally but not adhering to disease prevention and controlrules, and some imported goods.

Discussing procedures and measures to managepersons coming from abroad, they also stressed the need to create favourableconditions for foreign entrepreneurs, investors, workers, and experts to enterVietnam so as to meet domestic production and business demand.

Deputy Minister of Transport Le Anh Tuansuggested relevant agencies soon issue detailed guidance for the reopening ofcommercial international air routes, with priority given to routes linking withsafe countries, so as to help realise the “twin targets” of fighting againstCOVID-19 and promoting economic growth.

Given the rapid spread of COVID-19 around theworld, Director of the MoH’s Department of Preventive Medicine Dang Quang Tansaid although the domestic disease situation has been brought under control,staying vigilance is a must since winter with favourable weather for the virusdevelopment is coming.

Disease prevention and control measures stillneed to be continued, especially communications to raise public awareness, headded, recommending big and populous localities like Hanoi, Da Nang and KhanhHoa to make the wearing of face masks compulsory and fine any who refuses to doso like in Ho Chi Minh City.

Echoing the view, Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam pointedout that as COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in the world, with almost 400,000 newcases every day, Vietnam must not be off guard but consolidate all forces andready all anti-pandemic measures.

He requested serious management and quarantineof people entering the country, stressing that they still have to be monitoredfor another 14 days after finishing their quarantine period so as not to enablea new outbreak./.