Vietnam has the capabilities, resources and experience required to contain the Covid-19 epidemic, according to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the meeting. Source: VGP.

The Vietnamese government would not stay passive in the fight to protect its citizens' health, Phuc said at a government meeting on March 9, while referring to the successful treatment of 16 cases of infection as examples to calm the public.

Phuc, however, requested strict punishment for those providing inaccurate medical declaration, citing the case of the 17^th patient in Vietnam after returning home on Vietnam Airlines flight VN0054 from London.

Phuc requested the authorities to track and isolate all passengers on the flight for 14 days, adding the release of information related to the Covid-19 epidemic must ensure transparency and timeliness. “This would be key to help prevent people from stockpiling essential goods as in the last few days,” he said.

Meanwhile, Phuc continued to stress the importance of restricting meetings and public events to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Phuc agreed to halt the unilateral visa-waiver program for citizens of eight European countries, including Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, United Kingdom, Germany, France and Spain.

Phuc requested government agencies, cities/provinces not to send staff for working and studying trips abroad unless given they are approved by the PM himself.

Phuc assigned the Ministry of Information and Communications to combat the spreading of false information that could cause social chaos, and urged the public to stay calm as fear is more dangerous than the epidemic.

The PM expressed his strong belief that Vietnam would not only win the battle against Covid-19, but also thrive in economic development endeavors.