Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam at meeting of National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control (Source: VGP)
The disease remains a complex matter outside of the country, however, with tens of thousands of new infections and thousands of fatalities each day, Dam noted.
He stressed the importance of maintaining close management over everyone entering the country, to contain the spread of the coronavirus, reported VNA.
The overview of the meeting (Source: VGP)
The Steering Committee requested the military and public security and health sectors continue consolidating all mechanisms and tools, especially those in information technology, to immediately quarantine new cases in the community as soon as they are detected.
Vietnam recorded no new COVID-19 cases on May 6th morning, making it 20 days in a row without infections within the community, the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control reported.
The national count stands still at 271, of whom 131 were imported cases who were quarantined upon arrival.
Bringing Vietnamese citizens in France home
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Vietnamese Embassy in France collaborated with national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and relevant French agencies to organise a flight departing landed in Vietnam on May 6th in order to bring home approximately 240 Vietnamese citizens.
The majority of passengers on the flight are either elderly, people who suffer from underlying health issues, international students without accommodation, and minors under 18, with some even under 14.
Photo for illustration (Source: baoquocte.vn)
After arriving at Van Don International Airport in the northern province of Quang Ninh, the passengers received check-ups and were sent to quarantine centres.
Based on the Prime Minister’s directions, the pandemic’s developments and local quarantine capacity, relevant agencies plan to organise more commercial flights to bring overseas Vietnamese citizens home.
The national flag carrier has completed necessary procedures at the request of US authorities for a flight scheduled for May 7th.
In early May, nearly 300 Vietnamese citizens were brought home from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) under the coordination among Vietnam’s relevant agencies, the Vietnamese Embassy in UAE, national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and UAE authorities.
They included under-18 and elderly people, those with illnesses, and tourists who had been stuck. The Vietnamese Embassy in UAE had also sent staff to Dubai airport to directly support the citizens.
Upon arriving at Can Tho International Airport in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, all the passengers and flight crew underwent health checks and were put in quarantine in line with Vietnam’s regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control.
In addition to transporting Vietnamese citizens back home, Vietnam Airlines also helped to transport a large donation of medical equipment and supplies from the Vietnamese government and people to their French counterparts.
Based on citizens’ wishes, the local quarantine capacity, as well as the pandemic’s developments, authorities and airlines will continue to conduct flights to repatriate more Vietnamese citizens in the time ahead./