As the COVID-19 situation is getting better in Viet Nam, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said it is necessary to gradually loosen containment measures. 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Photo: VGP

The Government chief underlined the point at a meeting on COVID-19 prevention and control in Ha Noi on April 20.

However, the decree of easing COVID-19 steps will only be decided on April 22, said PM Phuc while asking for continued implementation of measures agreed in the previous meeting (on April 15).

He warned that the virus transmission risk still remain high, thus all the political system and localities as well as citizens must continue following prevention measures, in which social distancing rule, applicable since April 1, has proved to be an important solution to staunch the virus.

Phuc also agreed with the Ministry of Health’s proposals to increase export of face masks as the nation has had sufficient reserves.

Regarding repatriation of Vietnamese abroad, the PM assigned the ministries of health, foreign affairs, transport, and national defense to decide on number of flights carrying Vietnamese home on the basis of the developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the requests of the Vietnamese citizens, and the domestic quarantine capacity .

He tasked Chairmen of provincial-level People’s Committees to take proper containment measures applicable for each of their villages, communes and districts in accordance with the levels of the virus infection risks.

As of 6 pm on Monday, Viet Nam went 4.5 days without new infection cases and the total number of recovered patients rose to 214 out of the total 268./.