Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc reaffirmed the guiding viewpoint of fending off the second COVID-19 wave in order to pursue the dual goal of the pandemic containment and economic recovery, while addressing a meeting on COVID-19 on Wednesday. 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc addresses a meeting on COVID-19 on June 24, 2020.
Photo: VGP

Borders still remain shut to foreign tourists as the Government attaches importance to protection of public health, according to the Government chief.

In a bid to reboot the economy, the Government has opened borders to foreign experts, skilled laborers, and investors while arranging flights for repatriation of citizens stranded abroad due to the COVID-19, said PM Phuc.

PM Phuc, however, called for sustaining high level of vigilance and paying greater attention to the deployment of proactive precautious measures despite the fact that the nation has brought the COVID-19 pandemic under control.

He asked for further increasing the number of flights to bring Vietnamese citizens stranded abroad and foreign experts, skilled laborers, and investors to Viet Nam. 

Competent authorities were tasked to issue clearer procedures to facilitate the entry of foreign experts, skilled laborers, and investors who shall be quarantined in flexible manner.

As of 6:10 pm on June 24, Viet Nam had 352 COVID-19 patients, including 329 recovered cases, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

At present, 6,318 people who have been in close contact with COVID-19 patients or come from the pandemic-stricken areas are under medical surveillance, of whom 107 are quarantined at hospitals, 5,411 at centralized quarantine camps, and 800 at places of residence./.