Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam chairs a meeting of the national steering committee for Covid-19 response in Hanoi, March 23, 2020.

The aviation and health sectors will also play a key role in this effort, according to Mr. Dam.

“The army and the aviation sector will be responsible for quarantine activities at international border gates. The police will coordinate with local authorities and the health sector to prevent transmission in the community,” he said.

Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Truong Son said Covid-19 tests for all passengers entering Vietnam by air will be completed within the next 3 days. Vietnam has stockpiled enough medicine to treat 190,000 Covid-19 patients.

Since quarantine measures were applied to all arriving passengers last week, Vietnam has detected 39 new Covid-19 cases. The number of infections will likely rise in the coming days but the epidemic will continue to be under control, the committee said.  

At a cabinet meeting the same day, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc urged stronger actions to combat Covid-19.

“We must continue to closely monitor entry and exit activities by all means of transportation, strengthen concentrated quarantine, and tighten self-quarantine procedures. Stronger measures are needed as the risk of transmission in the community is very high at the moment,” said Mr. Phuc.