Viet Nam will not alter her disease prevention strategy of containing domestic transmission and preventing imported sources despites fears of new COVID-19 virants.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam presides over a meeting of the National
Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control, Ha Noi, January 7, 2021
- Photo: VGP/Dinh Nam  

This is a conclusion of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control at its meeting on Thursday.

So far, Viet Nam has pursued the strategy of domestic containment based on comprehensive zoning off, tracing, testing and quarantining, and prevention of external transmission sources.

The country has reported 1,509 COVID-19 patients, including four new cases confirmed on Thursday.

Of the patient tally, 693 are local infections while the rest are imported cases, according to the National Steering Committee.

Dr. Dang Quang Tan, Director General of the Preventive Medicine Department under the Ministry of Health said at least 38 countries have detected new COVID-19 variants as of January 5, in which 12 countries have reported community infections, prompting 70 countries to impose travel restrictions or close their borders to prevent new variants.

Dr. Tran Dac Phu, senior advisor to the Viet Nam Public Health Emergency Operations Center (PHEOC) said many countries have reported high infection rates because they have not strictly controlled and quarantined entrants.

Against the above backdrop, the National Committee, led by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, ordered every ministry, sector and locality to fully and seriously implement containment measures and regularly update information on the COVID-19 Safety Living Map System at the address antoancovid.vn.

Subordinate levels must tighten border control to prevent illegal entrants while each family whose relatives are living abroad need to encourage their relatives not to illegally enter the country.

The National Steering Committee tasked the Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to review capacity of concentrated quarantine sites in order to ensure safety at these establishments./.