The proposal was made at a conference on Covid-19 fight presided by the Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc yesterday.
Deputy Health Minister Do Xuan Tuyen representing the national steering board reported the information of the disease in the world with 95,383 infection cases and 3,285 deaths as of March 5 in 84 countries and territories.
Vietnam has not recorded new cases from February 13. Over 7,000 people have been under quarantine in isolation wards in hospitals and in homes in the Southeast Asian country.
The lockdown on Son Loi Commune in the Northern Province of Vinh Phuc was lifted at 12:00 am on March 4 after the government sealed off it in 20 days to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Engineers, experts and skilled workers from South Korea had been isolated 14 days in their country and they were negative for the deadly virus before entering Vietnam but they have to inform their health to local medical centers daily.
43 Chinese experts of the Cat Linh – Ha Dong urban railway project have been put under quarantine in hotels as per the Hanoi People’s Committee after recently returning from China.
Tourists must be isolated in hotels and resorts in 14 days before traveling in Vietnam.
When it came to face mask production and testing, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam assigned Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Truong Son to speed up testing push face mask production. Mr. Son had signed the decision No. 774/QĐ-BYT to issue two biological testing products for temporary use.
The National Institute of Medical Device and Construction under the Ministry of Health was assigned to assess antibacterial face masks made by enterprises.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade informed enterprises to stop producing waterproof face masks but permeable antibacterial face masks.
Additionally, enterprises must sell the Ministry of Health antibacterial face masks for the battle of the deadly virus and treatment.
The steering board accepted the Ministry of Transport’s proposal to stop flights and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ proposal to stop issuing visas.
Because the Covid-19 has spread to 81 nations in the world; accordingly, Vietnam is at high risk of getting coronavirus; therefore, the steering board proposed to stop issuing visas to Vietnamese people in foreign countries as well as stop visa exemption to the nation which Vietnamese people are living.
The board also forecast that a large number of Vietnamese in foreign countries especially South Korea will return Vietnam, the steering board accordingly proposed the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and people’s committees in cities and province to mobilize some hotels and accommodations as isolation place if there are no existing isolation wards provided by military.
Concerning purchase of medical face masks and protective device, the steering board said that with the present wide spread of the virus, medical face masks and protective clothing for doctor and nurses are significant matter in the next time because of high demand all over the world but limited supply.
Therefore, the steering board suggested buying additional 20 million face masks and N95 respirators and surgical masks, protective suits and Tyvek suits.
About purchase of ventilator and medical equipment, the Prime Minister promised to allocate VND180 billion to buy medical equipment in case that there will be outbreak of the disease. Presently, the Ministry of Health intended to buy 95 different ventilators, 10 X-ray machines, 30 machines to keep track on patients’ condition, 500 transfusion machines, 20 disinfectant sprayers and other machines.
Large hospitals Bach Mai in Hanoi and Cho Ray in Ho Chi minh City each will buy half of machines for treatment in the two regions.
