The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee remains poised to stand strong in order to create optimal conditions for the government to carry out all necessary measures aimed at containing the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic.

NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan

NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan made the affirmation during the 43rd session of the NA Standing Committee which opened in Hanoi on March 23.

Stating her appreciation for the direction, management, and determination shown by the government, the top Vietnamese legislator stressed that amid the increasingly complicated situation relating to the COVID-19, the government has focused its attention on trying to control epidemic. This is being done alongside ensuring that steps are made to meet targets for socio-economic development.

NA Chairwoman Ngan expressed her thanks to people working on the front line in the fight against the epidemic, citing a range of figures which underline the country’s efforts to combat the epidemic.

There have been approximately 7,000 people arriving from epidemic-hit areas who have been welcomed home, whilst hundreds of flight attendants have registered to take unpaid leave as a means of sharing the difficulties of the aviation sector. In addition, roughly 300 retired doctors and nurses in Hanoi have registered to return to hospitals to join in the fight against the epidemic. Over 10,000 soldiers are on hand to contribute to the COVID-19 fight by offering essential items for people in isolation. Moreover, high-quality meals are being provided to those in quarantine free of charge.

“The NA Standing Committee always stands shoulder to shoulder and offers favourable conditions for the government to implement the best epidemic prevention measures, which demonstrates the solidarity of the army and the people as well as the responsibility of the whole political system,” the NA leader said.

However, the NA Chairwoman also noted that it is necessary to deal with any limitations in order to raise the sense of individual responsibility.

Regarding the legislature’s activities, the Chairwoman also proposed making reasonable adjustments, especially with regards to supervisory work, as a way of intensifying epidemic prevention.

She also called on all people to reinforce feelings of solidarity, whilst making every effort to combat the epidemic in the spirit of high determination.

In his remarks, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said that the epidemic is still brought under proper control in the country.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam says the epidemic
is still brought under proper control in Vietnam

From the initial outset of the COVID-19 outbreak, the nation was considered to be at high risk due to its close proximity and trade volume with China. Moreover, the risk of epidemic infection remains high as a result of the economy’s openness and wide-ranging co-operation that takes place with other countries and regions which have also been affected by the outbreak such as the Republic of Korea and the EU, he said.

When information regarding the first case in Wuhan and the risks of the disease spreading globally were released on January 16, the Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, to urgently create epidemic prevention scenarios. This was done along with planning and preparing facilities for isolation, testing, examination, and treatment, in addition to the establishment of the National Steering Committee for Epidemic Prevention and Control.

The Party Central Committee’s Secretariat also called on the active engagement of party organisations, the government, the Fatherland Front, and mass organisations in the fight against the epidemic. Prevention activities and control are regarded as the primary and urgent tasks of the entire political system, armed forces, and community as a whole.

Under the direction of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Health has been active in co-ordinating alongside ministries and sectors in a bid to forecast situations and formulate five worst-case scenarios at different levels in order to be prompt when it comes to handling any possible situation, Dam said.

 "Thanks to the strict implementation of instructions by the Politburo, the Secretariat, the government, and the Prime Minister, with many specific solutions, Vietnam has so far basically controlled the disease,” the Deputy PM acknowledged, while also noting that there remain many difficulties and risks ahead. This requires continued anti-epidemic work to be done on a wide scale, as well as making suitable solutions a reality due to the potential for the disease to spread among the wider community, he added.