The National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on Thursday assigned Deputy Foreign Minister To Anh Dung to head a working group responsible for developing regulations on organization of designated facilities for foreign diplomats and investors. 

From left to right: Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long,
Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, Deputy Foreign Minister To Anh Dung
at the meeting of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention
and Control on June 18, 2020. Photo: VGP

In the face of the second wave of COVID-19, the Steering Committee agreed that Viet Nam needs to continue tightening management of entrants, including Vietnamese citizens repatriated from foreign countries and territories, in order to prevent community infections and to ensure safe environment for pursuing the dual goal of COVID-19 containment and economic recovery.

As of Thursday, more than 8,000 Vietnamese citizens have been brought home and more repatriation flights will be arranged in the coming time, according to the Steering Committee.

The Committee, led by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, also agreed to submit to competent authorities for consideration of a proposal on resumption of air routes to some countries and territories where the COVID-19 pandemic has been put under control.

The pandemic has spread to 215 countries and territories around the world with about 8,257,885 infection cases, including 445,986 deaths. During the past week alone, there have been 918,415 new cases and 31,926 fatalities.

The infection rate tended to decrease in European countries where restrictions have been gradually eased while the pandemic still remains complicated in the Latin America, especially the US and Brazil.

Noticeably, Asia is facing the threat of potential second wave of COVID-19, with Beijing and Seoul witnessing fast infection rates./.