The event in Hanoi was attended by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, other Politburo members, secretaries of the Party Central Committee, members of the national steering committee for COVID-19 prevention and control, and officials of ministries, sectors and central agencies.
    |
 |
|
Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong (centre) chairs the Politburo’s meeting on the COVID-19 prevention and control in Hanoi on March 20 |
A report at the meeting showed that as of March 20 morning, there had been more than 230,000 COVID-19 cases, including over 9,000 deaths, in nearly 180 countries and territories. Vietnam had recorded 85 infected patients, including 16 who have fully recovered and no deaths.
The Politburo highly valued the work done so far in the COVID-19 prevention and control, noting that the country has kept good control of the situation and the inflow of people coming from coronavirus-hit areas, organised timely and effective quarantine, early detected infections, and successfully cured 16 patients. Besides, Vietnamese scientists have managed to produce SARS-CoV-2 test kits.
Applauding the accomplishments, Party and State leader Nguyen Phu Trong highlighted the timely and drastic leadership and direction over the fight against the disease, along with the engagement of the whole political system and all people in the work.
However, the pandemic is forecast to remain complex and unpredictable and severely affect people’s health and socio-economic development, he said, urging the country not to be complacent about the disease prevention work. He laid stress on measures to localize outbreaks and the need to envision the worst scenario in order to prepare the best response plan.
The leader added that there are also many other tasks that need to be done aside from combating the disease, noting the pandemic’s impact on economy, society, security – defence, diplomacy and tourism.
He underlined that there will be a number of important events in 2020 as Vietnam is holding the ASEAN chairmanship and the two-year non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council, and all-level Party congresses will take place.
Therefore, it is necessary to work out long-term solutions, Trong said, calling for mobilizing the strength of the whole political system and the great national unity bloc along with all resources for stamping out the pandemic in the spirit of “fighting the epidemic like fighting an enemy”.
The top leader also shared other officials’ view that apart from dealing with the disease, policies and measures also need to be carried out to minimise the epidemic’s negative impact on the realisation of socio-economic targets; recover production, business and tourism; and ensure a normal life for residents in affected areas.
According to him, challenges caused by the COVID-19 also provide a chance for economic and business restructuring. In the short term, public investment should be promoted to stimulate demand; investment in agriculture and food production increased to ensure food and social security; and difficulties facing businesses, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises, removed.
Source: VNA