There should be a balance in efforts to pursue the dual target of containing the Covid-19 pandemic and boosting economic growth, according to Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at the meeting on August 12. Photo: VGP.

Appropriate measures are required to protect citizens' well-being against the pandemic, but a lockdown at large scale not only disrupts economic and social activities but also causes negative sentiment in the public, stated Mr. Phuc at a government meeting on August 12.

Mr. Phuc said this is a big dilemma for all leaders, adding both central government and local authorities are concerned about issues of unemployment and hardship that the people are facing.

Accordingly, each province and city has to assess its own risks and decide on suitable anti-pandemic measures in order to avoid major impacts on people’s lives and economic activities, Mr. Phuc urged.

The PM noted localities should continue to focus on quick identifying, isolating and testing of infected cases. Hanoi and Danang are taking over 10,000 tests per day.

He requested the Ministry of Health to provide support for localities in a timely manner, both in expertise and resources, while medical staff, police and army forces taking part in this Covid-19 fight should be equipped with sufficient protective clothes to avoid cross-infection.

All production facilities, industrial parks, or hospitals have to set up their own safety criteria and strictly follow preventive measures, Mr. Phuc added.

So far, there have been over 16 million people using the contact tracing app Bluezone, which Mr. Phuc said is encouraging news, but the number should be increased further for the app to be highly effective.

Mr. Phuc expected the acceleration of the development of Covid-19 vaccine and treatment regimen for Covid-19 patients, as well as online health records for the people.

At the time of writing, Vietnam has reported 883 Covid-19 cases and 17 deaths.