Hanoi (VNA) -🦩 A number of legislatorsgave their opinion on measures for post-COVID-19 economic recovery on June 15, withthe reopening of Vietnam’s borders to foreign partners being among the issuesattracting the most attention.

The plenary debate was part of the ongoing ninthsession of the 14th National Assembly in Hanoi. Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee NguyenThien Nhan said Vietnam has controlled the pandemic well, with only 334infection cases so far - much lower than the average of 1,000 patients in eachcountry at the time COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic. Vietnam has economic relations with a host of countriesand territories but only 17 of them are key partners as they account for 90percent of foreign investment, 80 percent of foreign trade, and 80 percent offoreign tourist arrivals, he explained. Given this, he recommended a road map be built forreopening the country to these 17 countries and territories. Pointing out the basis for doing so, Nhan said thatin May and June the pandemic was or will be declared to be over in ten of the17, which have less than 10,000 patients currently under treatment per 1million people - Japan, China, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan (China), Thailand,Hong Kong (China), Germany, Australia, Samoa, and the British Virgin Islands. The seven remainders - India, the US, Russia, Singapore, the Netherlands,Indonesia, and Malaysia - are yet to be safe from the coronavirus, so Vietnamstill needs to monitor their situation and reopen to these partners whenappropriate. Nhan cited a forecast that foreign investment inVietnam this year is likely to fall 30 percent against 2019, with foreign tradedown 18 percent and tourist arrivals 50 percent, so suitable adjustments arenecessary. He suggested Vietnam declare an end to theCOVID-19 pandemic, since there are only 3.4 cases per 1 million people, 0.2patients still under treatment per 1 million people, and no related deaths sofar. Meanwhile, deputy Nguyen Lan Hieu from theMekong Delta province of An Giang said Vietnam needs to exercise extreme prudenceduring the economic recovery process as it is still facing the risk of a secondwave. He underlined the necessity to carry outmeasures to affirm that such a risk is not as significant as in othercountries, and these measures should be based on science and proposed by thehealth sector, in order to confirm Vietnam is safe. He added that entry procedures for foreignersmust be strict and domestic agencies should work with other countries toconduct testing for COVID-19 antibodies for those who want to enter Vietnam, aswell as rapid tests at ports of entry./.