National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam, was held in Monday in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI — More than 26,000 students, mostly in the coronavirus epicentre in central Việt Nam, along with others quarantined for having come into close contact with confirmed COVID-19 cases, will take the “second phase” of the national high school examination on September 2-4.

Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyễn Hữu Độ announced the decision at Monday’s meeting of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control in Hà Nội.

Nearly 1 million high school students from the rest of the country sat the tests which determine graduation and entry into universities on August 8-10, and many localities said they have completed scoring the tests.

“Despite the lower number of test-takers in the second phase, the education ministry is committed to carrying out the dual goals of ensuring safety for students, while making sure that the examination is fair, just, objective and conducted with integrity,” Độ said.

Lieutenant General Nguyễn Văn Sơn, Deputy Minister of Public Security, said the ministry would mobilise the police force to ensure the security of the examinations.

At the meeting, members of the Steering Committee agreed that the pandemic situation in Đà Nẵng, Quảng Nam and the cluster in Hải Dương Province has been getting under control.

With the anti-pandemic efforts witnessed in the past months, the Ministry of Health will compile the experience to be used in drills that will be organised in all localities to enhance preparedness for potential outbreaks.

In addition, the Ministry of Health, in co-ordination with localities and State agencies, will issue guidelines to co-exist safely with the pandemic.

The first will be on anti-pandemic guidelines in schools, heard the meeting.

The Ministry of Health will continue to review machines in medical facilities along with biologicals research projects to raise the effectiveness of COVID-19 testing and diagnosis.

The Steering Committee asked the Ministry of Health to closely monitor the research and production of COVID-19 vaccines around the world, and at the same time, facilitate domestic COVID-19 vaccine projects.

At the meeting, the public security representative said many localities have not closely followed standard procedures on registering special entries of foreign experts, highly skilled workers and investors, the few exemptions to Việt Nam’s foreign entry ban.

There have been cases of exploiting the policy to bring “ineligible” foreigners into Việt Nam, Sơn said.

The committee demanded more vigilance and stricter management of all entries and exits given the complex developments of the pandemic.

The committee asked all organisations and the media to continue conveying health recommendations to the public – including refraining from going outside for non-essential purposes, wearing masks in public, frequently washing hands with soaps or sanitising solutions, and not letting their guards down against the virus.

On Monday, Việt Nam recorded six new COVID-19 cases, four in Đà Nẵng City and two in Hải Dương City, all connected to known clusters, pushing the country’s caseload to 1,022.

A total od 70,620 people, who either returned from virus-affected regions or came into close contacts with confirmed cases, are under quarantine across the country.

Also today, 20 more patients recovered from COVID-19, bringing the total recoveries to 588.

The death toll is at 27, all patients with underlying health problems. — VNS