It is imperative to anticipate every situation, take practical steps and be ready to respond when new Covid-19 cases emerge although Vietnam has won the first battle agains the epidemic, the Government Portal quoted Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam as saying at a meeting on March 2.

According to Dam, whether the source of new coronavirus infections is identified or not, Vietnam still needs to quickly quarantine, drastically isolate and promptly treat them to stop the epidemic from spreading. 

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam speaks at the meeting. Photo: Dinh Nam

Specifically, a few days ago, the Vietnamese government suspended the unilateral visa exemption for South Korean citizens. From March 3, the visa-free policy will also be removed for Italian citizens.

Vietnamese returnees from the epidemic-hit regions, especially from South Korea, and South Korean citizens entering Vietnam will be thoroughly screened and isolated.

With regard to the test kits made by Vietnam, the deputy PM requested the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Science and Technology to urgently complete procedures to produce the test kits en masse.

With 10,089 people in quarantine now in Vietnam, the test kits will help shorten their isolation and keep the community calm in face of the epidemic.

Covid-19 has been reported in nearly 80 countries and territories after the outbreak in Wuhan, China in December 2019.

WHO said on February 15 that Vietnam was responding well to the epidemic from the outset and prevented its spread.

The US Department of Health and Human Services has recently praised Vietnam's medical capacity and close cooperation in coping with the Covid-19 epidemic, believing that Vietnam will effectively combat the disease.