Addressing the ongoing National Assembly session in Hanoi on June 8, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc affirmed that the world has now known much more about Vietnam through its combat against the novel coronavirus epidemic (COVID-19).

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc discusses the results of the COVID-19 combat in
Vietnam at group discussions of the ongoing National Assembly session

He said Vietnam has basically brought the epidemic under control thanks to drastic measures and swiftly actions. 

“On Lunar New Year’s Eve, when I came back to Da Nang city (in central Vietnam), I was informed about the complex development of the epidemic. I thought the country’s medical capacity was limited as it had to care for many other patients….. I then came up with an idea of mobilizing the army in the campaign,” the PM recalled.

He said after Vietnam contained the epidemic, he has made fact-finding trips to many localities, factories and construction sites to see with his own eyes difficulties they encountered and encourage them to overcome challenges to maintain production. 

“The government has set the dual goal of epidemic control and socio-economic development at the same time. The entire Party, army and people have expressed determination to join hands in resolving difficulties post epidemic, trying to achieve a GDP growth of 4-4.5% or higher."

The PM singled out localities such as Hai Phong, Vinh Phuc, Binh Phuoc, Binh Duong and Dong Nai for their strong commitment not to adjust their growth target set for this year, and hoped this determination will inspire other localities to follow suit. 

Overall, the PM said Vietnam has achieved initial success in the fight against COVID-19, which has won international acclaims. However, he warned Vietnam remains highly vigilant as COVID-19 is evolving in a complex manner in the region and the world, particularly when thousands of Vietnamese citizens stranded overseas are returning to the homeland. 

As of June 8, Vietnam has confirmed a total of 332 coronavirus cases, of which 316 cases have fully recovered from the virus. No deaths have been reported so far.