He made the announcement at a meeting of the committee in Hà Nội.

He asked the Ministry of Information and Communications, Ministry of Health, Việt Nam Social Security and all network providers to plan and prepare technological tools so the declarations can be done online across the country.

The Deputy PM also requested measures to be applied to prevent Vietnamese citizens from leaving the countries and travelling to countries where COVID-19 infection has been reported, and advised citizens to only travel abroad when absolutely necessary.

Compulsory electronic health declarations for all passengers entering Vietnam started on March 7 upon Deputy PM Đam’s request.

The declarations could be made on the website https://www.suckhoetoandan.vn/khaiyte, or at the airports before boarding.

As of Sunday Viet Nam had 30 confirmed cases of infections with 16 having recovered.

The Hà Nội People’s Committee on Sunday proposed for an announcement of a COVID-19 epidemic in the city.

Statistics from the Ministry of Health showed that by Sunday, Hà Nội has four COVID-19 patients, and one suspected case in Ba Đình District.

Four COVID-19 patients included N.H.N, 27, who was staying on Trúc Bạch Street in Ba Đình District and was defined as the 17th COVID-19 patients of Việt Nam, a 27-year-old man – N.’s driver, a 64-year-old woman – N.’s aunt, and a 61-year-old man – seating on the same row with N. on her flight from London to Hà Nội.

Accordingly, a total of 130 people came into contact with N., and 226 others with people who had contact with N.

The city authorities have quarantined sections of Trúc Bạch Street containing 66 households with 189 people living there.

The Hồng Ngọc Hospital, where N. had come for health examination, was sterilised.

People had close contact with the patients, and those who have come to contact with people having close contact with the patients, are in quarantine.

Twenty samples taken from people having close contact with N. showed negative results, and another is waiting for test result.

The authorities have also investigated 217 people who were on the same flight with N. It was the Vietnam Airlines flight VN0054 from London that landed at the Nội Bài International Airport in Hà Nội at 4.30am on March 2. They included 21 people in business class, 180 others in economy class and 16 crew members.

Now 155 out of 180 passengers in economy class and all 21 people in business class have been found. Sixty are in Hà Nội.

In another development, the MoH on Sunday confirmed Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyễn Chí Dũng had tested negative to COVID-19.

Earlier some rumours on social network said that he was tested positive to the disease after being on the same flight with N.

The MoH said that his samples were tested in two laboratories reaching national norms and World Health Organisation (WHO)’s norms, and the results were negative.

Now he is in quarantine and under close supervision in a stable condition.

Earlier, Dũng and other experts from the Ministry of Planning and Investment were on the same business class with N. — VNS