Vietnam has been able to control Covid-19 in the community, but is not in condition to declare the end of the pandemic nationwide, VnExpress quoted Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Huy Nga, former head of the General Department of Preventive Medicine under the Ministry of Health as saying.

Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Huy Nga, former head of the General Department of Preventive Medicine under the Ministry of Health. Photo: TD

According to the Law on Prevention of Infectious Diseases, Vietnam, in order to be able to declare the end of an epidemic must meet the following conditions: no new case being detected after a certain period of time, meeting different conditions for each epidemic as prescribed by the Prime Minister, taking anti-epidemic measures in line with regulations, Nga cited.

He added that although Vietnam has controlled the Covid-19 pandemic in the community, the risk of infection is still there. In the time ahead, overseas Vietnamese will keep returning home. Even though they must undergo quarantine, there is still risk of contagion in isolation centers and in the community.

Vietnam should only declare Covid-19 free nationwide when all Covid-19 patients have been cured and there is no longer any risk of infection from overseas, Nga stressed.

Colonel Ha The Tan, deputy director of the Institute of Military Preventive Medicine. Photo: Ngoc Thanh

According to Colonel Ha The Tan, deputy director of the Institute of Military Preventive Medicine, Vietnam should continue to restrict, control and isolate foreign arrivals, with a view to avoiding the risk of infection import.

"When will Vietnam declare the epidemic end? We have decided that until the country meets all the conditions and no new cases of infection are recorded," Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long told local media.

It’s been 29 days that Vietnam has not detected any new infection of Covid-19. Out of 288 cases as of May 14, 260 have been cured and discharged from hospital, accounting for 90% of the case toll.

Vietnam's reputation for preventing the Covid-19 epidemic has been enhanced. The World Health Organization, the US’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and international media have lauded Vietnam’s success in dealing with the pandemic.