Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc speaks at a meeting of the cabinet with the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control on Friday. VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has asked the Ministry of Transport (MoT) to direct airlines to consider the resumption of international commercial flights with some countries and regions, after months of border closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He made the request at a cabinet meeting with the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control held on Friday in Hà Nội.

The PM suggested opening flights for people transiting is countries such as Japan, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan (China), Laos and Cambodia before entering Việt Nam.

The MoT are tasked to work with the Ministry of Health (MoH), Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to deal with issues relating to the reopening of international flights including choosing groups of entries to be given priority as well as airports involved.

These ministries are supposed to work together to expedite the entry process while preventive measures are still in place.

The frequency of repatriation flights as well as those for experts, businesspeople and managers into the country should be increased, he said.

According to the Prime Minister, 15 provinces and cities including Đà Nẵng, Quảng Nam and Hải Dương have effectively coordinated with the health sector and relevant ministries and agencies to implement the Government’s directives on COVID-19 prevention and control.

The country has gone nine days without community infections. 

“Basically, we have a good control of the pandemic on a national scale,” the PM said, adding that the dual goal of containing the pandemic and restarting the economy has achieved positive results.

Initially, production and business activities have returned to normal in all localities, including Đà Nẵng, Việt Nam’s COVID-19 hotspot.

However, he warned that there was still high risk of infection and new cases of infection might be recorded in the community given the fact that we would open doors to foreign tourists in the near future.

The PM asked ministries, agencies and localities to continue the implementation of the dual goals. They were requested to fully carry out anti-virus measures in accordance with the guidance of the MoH, namely wearing masks, disinfection, keeping a safe distance, no gatherings in crowd and providing medical declarations.

All violations relating to prevention and control regulations should be strictly dealt with.

“Each citizen and each enterprise should adapt to a new normal. They should promote socio-economic development while adopting epidemic prevention and control measures at the same time,” the PM said.

Localities were urged to proactively prepare scenarios and plans to respond to the pandemic in the area, especially at medical facilities, agencies, production establishments or enterprises which employ large numbers of workers and in crowded residential areas.

It is necessary to promote dissemination, drills and guidance on measures to cope with the pandemic in these areas, he said.

PM Phúc requested that favourable conditions should be created to promote investment attraction, especially from major partners.

Localities were not allowed to apply measures which restrict trade activities.

The Ministry of Health was assigned to coordinate with ministries and agencies in disseminating and guiding the implementation of pandemic prevention and control measures. The ministry was also to take charge of monitoring health and taking samples for testing for all entries when Việt Nam resumed international commercial flights.

The health sector at both the central and local level was asked to be proactive in taking rapid measures when new cases of infection were detected.

The PM asked the People’s Committees of provinces to work with the MoT and the Ministry of Finance to organise quarantine with fee collection. Specifically, Hà Nội, HCM City, Cần Thơ City and neighbouring provinces were urged to utilise hotels and accommodations as quarantine areas for people coming into the country, but they have to pay a fee.— VNS