Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has signed a directive clarifying responsibilities of ministries, agencies and localities in prevention and control of the pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus (nCoV) amid rising death toll and infections in China. 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Photo: VGP

Accordingly, the Ministry of Heath is responsible for guiding localities to strictly supervise and early detect infected cases, strictly monitor passengers at seaports, airports and border crossings, especially those coming from the epidemic areas.

The Ministry shall regularly update information on the development of the epidemic as well as warnings and preventive measures, provide instructions and treatment therapy in order to minimize death rates.

The Ministry is assigned to coordinate with the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs and local healthcare facilities to manage and isolate those who are confirmed infected with the virus or suspected of having the virus.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall direct travel agencies to stop tours to localities having infected patients or from infected areas to Viet Nam, and provide travel restrictions for Chinese tourists who are in Viet Nam.

The Ministry of Public Security shall coordinate with the healthcare sector to conduct strict control right at seaports, border crossings and airports and give strict punishments to those who try to disseminate inaccurate information on the epidemic.

The Ministry of National Defense shall ban travel through border crossings with China and prepare fields hospitals in case the epidemic spreads.

The Ministry of Transport shall temporarily suspend flights from Viet Nam to infected areas in China and stop all flights from infected areas to Viet Nam.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall coordinate with the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs to indentify the number of Vietnamese nationals in infected areas to take necessary citizen protection measures, inform diplomatic corps in case their citizens are suspected of having the virus.

The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs shall direct subordinate units to supervise health conditions of workers who return home from China.

The Ministry of Information and Communications shall coordinate with local-level People’s Committees and press agencies in timely dissemination of information on the epidemic and preventive measures to prevent public anxiety.

The Ministry of Education and Training shall provide necessary information and preventive measures to Vietnamese students at home and abroad.

The Ministry of Finance shall ensure financing for prevention and control of the epidemic.

Chairmen of provincial-level People's Committees shall direct subordinate units to cope with all situations and ensure sufficient medicines and equipment for prevention and control of the epidemic.

The Government chief assigned Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam as head of the steering committee for prevetion and control of the epidemic.

The Ministry of Health is responsible for supervising and accelerating the implementation of this directive and make daily report to the Prime Minister.

According to China's national news agency, Xinhua, Chinese health authorities announced Tuesday that 4,515 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the 2019-nCoV had been reported in 30 provincial-level regions by the end of Monday. A total of 106 people died of the disease.

The National Health Commission said in its daily report that 976 patients remained in critical conditions, and 6,973 people were suspected of being infected with the virus as of the end of Monday, Xinhua reported./.