Viet Nam has gone 52 consecutive days without new COVID-19 community infection, reported the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control minutes ago. 

As of 6:10 pm on Sunday, the country’s patient tally remained unchanged at 329, of whom 307 have been cleared of the virus, the committee said.

Of the current patients, 15 have tested negative at least once, the committee added.

As many as 9,088 people who have been in close contact with COVID-19 patients or returned from the pandemic-stricken areas are being isolated, including 72 at hospitals, 7,150 at centralized quarantine facilities, and 1,866 at places of residence.

Regarding British patient numbered 91, doctors a the Cho Ray Hospital said he still needs weeks to be freed from ventilator, and extensive care to recover movement.

The patient has been disconnected from the Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) on Wednesday morning as nearly 60% of his lungs have improved.

The British national has undergone 81-day treatment after being confirmed having the virus on March 18. He was transferred from the Hospital for Tropical Diseases to Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City on May 22 for further treatment.

Earlier, the Ministry of Health decided to set up a steering committee responsible for conducting a possible lung transplant for the patient.

As Viet Nam has successfully contained the pandemic, paving the way for the country to have restarted the economy, including allowing foreign experts and business managers to return to the nation.

So far, more than 1,800 foreign experts have been isolated in accordance with the current measures on COVID-19 containment and the figure is expect to increase by 2,700 in the next two months, according to the Ministry of Health.

In addition, about  5,661 Vietnamese citizens have been brought home from foreign countries and territories since April 24 following the Government’s efforts to have arranged 19 special repatriation flights.

Despite encouring signals from the COVID-19 fight,  the National Steering Committee underlined the necessity to continue sticking to the “dual goals” of containing the pandemic and rebooting the economy, during its meeting last Friday.

The committee, led by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, agreed to continue strict management of crew members of international flights and quarantine of incoming travellers in favor of economic recovery./.