Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said the newly-emerged Covid-19 cluster in Ho Chi Minh has been basically put under control thanks. 

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam presides over the meeting of the National Steering
Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control, Ha Noi, December 7, 2020. Photo: VGP

Speaking at a meeting of the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control on Monday, Dam hailed the prompt efforts made by HCMC authorities, the Ministry of Health and other competent forces to control the cluster.

Forty-eight hours after the detection of a community infection case in HCMC on November 1, authorities tracked down all people who are either F1 and F2 of patient 1,347 for quarantining and testing, said Dam, adding that this is the great improvement in our capacity of curbing the pandemic.

However, Dam, who is head of the National Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control, stressed the need to continue tightening preventive measures as the winter nears and the pandemic is still evolving complicatedly around the world.

So far, Viet Nam has confirmed 1,367 Covid-19 cases, including 693 local infections. This means preventing infection risk from outside is the most important task as more flights will continue to be arranged to repatriate Vietnamese citizens stranded abroad due to Covid-19.

From that perspective, members of the National Committee called for strict observation of preventive measures, including mandatory 14-day quarantine for all incoming travellers and strengthening border control to prevent illegal entrants./.