Deputy PM orders top priority to epidemic prevention, fighting

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Passengers' body temperature is examined via a thermal scanner at Kuala Lumpur International Airport of Malaysia on January 21 (Photo: AFP/VNA)

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has stressed the need to continue giving top priority to the epidemic prevention and fighting, as the nCoV is spreading.

Speaking at a meeting of the steering committee on the prevention of new and dangerous diseases and epidemics held in Hanoi on January 26, the official highlighted the Government and the Prime Minister are very attentive to the situation.

The common perception of the Government is to focus the top-level attention on the earliest possible detection of the suspected case so as to contain the spread, he said, stressing that the work must be carried out even at the expense of economic benefits.

The Deputy PM also ordered relevant authorities and localities to increase attention to the management of those who come from affected areas in Vietnam as well as foreign tourists, noting that measures taken by the country have so far proved effective although Vietnam sees many arrivals and departures by Chinese.

Dam asked them to join hands with health authorities in the work and intensify awareness campaigns among the population.

Deputy Health Minister Do Xuan Tuyen said Vietnam counts 59 suspected cases of nCoV, with two tested positive for the virus and being treated at the Cho Ray hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. Both of the two are Chinese.

Health experts said health declaration at border gates is very important but the number of cases detected there is not high, and this leads to the need to intensify the check at hospitals so as to detect them at an early date.