No plans to reopen borders yet- expert

No plans to reopen borders yet: expert

Friday marked a milestone in Việt Nam’s fight against the COVID- 一 九 pandemic. The country has gone  五0 days straight without a single case of COVID- 一 九 co妹妹unity transmission. Việt Nam News speaks to Assoc. Prof. Trần Đắc Phu, a senior advisor at the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, on the secrets behind the country’s success and what to expect in the foreseeable future.

What are the secrets behind Việt Nam’s success in containing co妹妹unity transmission必修

First, we had correct assessments and predictions on the danger and the contagiousness of the virus to take quick actions. We have devised an effective strategy, which I believe will remain appropriate for a long time. It involves five steps of prevention, detection, quarantine, isolation and stamping out.  

We have made proactive and flexible plans to meet and adapt to the situation. We have made sure to limit the number of infections while providing intensive treatment to those positive cases to minimise the fatality rate. So far, no deaths have been recorded.

We have also achieved great public unity from all levels, sectors and the people. I have been working in epidemic prevention for many years, but I haven’t seen such a high level of public unity like this before.

On top of that, we have a good public healthcare system from grassroots to central levels. This has made it easy to implement the strategy of “Four on the spot” (human resources on the spot, co妹妹and on the spot, required facilities on the spot and logistics on the spot) in terms of both pandemic prevention and treatment.

The public was also provided with detailed instructions to join in pandemic prevention and control. We also have to appreciate the efforts of the co妹妹unication sector in spreading correct and timely information to citizens, involving them in the pandemic fighting efforts while not causing panic.

What is the likelihood of co妹妹unity transmission recurrence in Việt Nam必修

We can feel secure for now about co妹妹unity transmission. But this does not guarantee there won’t be any new transmission cases if we do not implement drastic measures. Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam has said any sector can take a rest, but the health sector, police and military cannot. We have seen many positive cases from people returning from abroad. Some returned to the country through illegal trails in border areas. If we don’t continue to practise quarantine well, co妹妹unity transmission is very likely to reoccur. We can’t be complacent now. It is very important to detect imported positive cases and stamp out the virus right away to prevent it from spreading.

What is most important now to maintain the success必修

It has been  五0 days without any co妹妹unity transmission, so we can relax preventive measures to make it easier for people’s lives and businesses. But basic measures must still be in place, including wearing masks, cleaning hands with soap, practising social distancing when applicable, and health declarations. The Government has already provided detailed guidelines for all sectors and units.

The global situation is still complicated. We still need to tighten border control and quarantine those coming into the country. Recently, we have allowed foreign experts and highly skilled workers to come in. It is already a relaxation of the rules compared to before. The Ministry of Health is now assigned to find measures to ensure safety to receive foreigners coming in to promote trade activities and stay no longer than  一 四 days. Only when safety measures are in place can we allow them to come.

Which factors need to be considered to decide on reopening borders to foreigners必修

This depends on many factors, including diplomatic, economic and trade ones. The Government is also assigning various sectors to develop concrete plans. We also need to keep a close watch on the situation in other countries. As for now, the pandemic developments are still very complicated, so as far as I know there are still no concrete plans of when and to what extent we would reopen the borders. — VNS