Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam chairs a meeting of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Quyết

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam has basically brought the COVID-19 pandemic under control, with production, business and daily activities returning to a “new normal”, Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam told a meeting of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on Wednesday.

The disease remained a complex matter outside the country, with tens of thousands of new infections and thousands of fatalities each day, Đam noted.

He stressed the importance of maintaining close management over people entering the country to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

The Steering Committee requested the military, public security and health sectors to continue consolidating mechanisms and tools to detect new cases in the community.

Disease prevention measures should be loosened based on scientific grounds, such as the mode of transmission of the virus and the probabilities of pathogens in the community.

According to health experts, while it could be claimed there were no pathogens in Việt Nam at this time, the probability of their existence was very low. Those who test positive again cannot transmit it to others.

The Steering Committee asked the health sector to continue caring for and monitoring patients as well as those given the all-clear, to ensure community safety.

People must continue to wear face masks in public, maintain a distance from others of at least one metre, and regularly wash their hands with antibacterial soap or sanitiser.

According to the committee, students were not required to wear face masks in classrooms but were advised to wear them during breaks and to avoid contact with friends in other classes. Air conditioners could be used in classrooms but doors and windows should be opened at certain times to facilitate air circulation.

The Steering Committee also requested that offices, factories, supermarkets, markets, hospitals and restaurants maintain prevention measures.

Non-essential services can resume, except for clubs and karaoke bars, if social distancing measures can be ensured.

Meanwhile, the committee said social distancing measures could be eased for public transport, including aviation, but other prevention measures must be maintained. 

Việt Nam has reported no new COVID-19 infections within the community for 20 days, the Steering Committee reported.

The national count still stands at 271 cases, of which 131 were imported and quarantined upon arrival.

A total of 232 patients have recovered or been discharged from hospital, while the remainder are being treated at centrally-run and provincial medical facilities. Most are in a stable condition. — VNS