Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has decided to declare Covid-19 a national epidemic, paving the way for further actions to prevent the coronavirus from spreading and mitigate its adverse effects.

Decision 447/QD-TTg signed by the PM dated April 1, 2020 states the contagious disease type A caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) now expands at a large scale nationwide.

Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Photo: VNA

The epidemic began in Vietnam on January 23 when the first person was confirmed infected with the virus.

Covid-19, an acute respiratory disease, has become the global pandemic, causing human-to-human transmission.

Vietnam has quickly acted to curb the spread of the virus by implementing Law on Contagious Diseases Prevention and Control, including (1) setting up the National Steering Committee on Covid-19 Prevention and Control, (2) declaring and reporting the epidemic, (3) providing checkup and treatment, (4) imposing quarantine, (5) taking protective measures, (6) monitoring epidemic-hit areas, (7) mobilizing all forces for the fight against the disease, (8) joining hands with international partners and countries.

Clinics, provincial hospital, central hospitals, and hospital of the armed forces, and makeshift hospitals (when needed) assume responsibilities for the quarantine, supervision, testing of suspected people and treatment of coronavirus patients.

On February 1, PM Phuc declared the epidemic when the disease affected the northern province of Vinh Phuc, and the central provinces of Thanh Hoa and Khanh Hoa with six people infected with the virus.

Due to the wider scale, with 24 cities and provinces having reported infected people, and a growing number of infected cases, 212 as of early April 1, the PM has ordered two-week social isolation nationwide from April 1.

Accordingly, travel restrictions have been imposed with no international routes, few domestic flights, minimized railway and waterway transport, and no road passenger transport across the country.