Vietnam will consider next week if the country should prolong current social distancing measures, against a backdrop of a slowing infection rate and no death associated with novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention will convene a meeting on Monday to discuss whether to extend the social distancing duration, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, chief of the committee, said on Friday.

The committee will then tender a proposal to the prime minister for final approval, Deputy PM Dam added.

Vietnam is practicing enhanced social distancing which is scheduled to end on April 15 to stem COVID-19 transmission.

People are asked to stay home except for essential trips for food, medicine, and emergency care.

Authorities in some localities have fined those going out for non-essential purposes.

Citizens are told to maintain a two-meter distance in social interaction, whereas any gathering of more than two people is banned in public spaces.

Schools, stores, and services have been shut down, apart from essential venues decided on by local authorities.

Inbound flights have been strictly restricted while entry has been denied to all foreigners.

Domestic flights have also been limited, at a time when inter-province travel is discouraged.

Vietnam has exerted all-out effort to minimize the number of infections, the deputy premier said, adding that no death linked to the disease has been recorded in the country so far.

The nation has confirmed 258 COVID-19 patients as of Sunday morning, with 144 having recovered.

It has witnessed a slower infection rate over the past week, as only a few cases have been confirmed daily.

Vietnamese authorities have become quicker in their approach to trace and isolate confirmed cases and their contacts, the official said.

It took them five days to track a person at first but now merely a few hours is spent finding one and sealing off a cluster, he elaborated.

Deputy PM Dam underlined that social distancing must be strictly enforced as community spread has been recorded in Vietnam, noting that the country is not passively waiting for vaccines or drugs to treat this disease but it is proactive in responding to the epidemic with all of its capacities.

In the most recent attempt, the Ministry of Health has allowed some hospitals to cooperate with the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Vietnam in clinically testing chloroquine, an antimalarial drug, in COVID-19 treatment. 

“Let’s trust our doctors and be optimistic about Vietnam’s approach,” Dam said.

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