Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chaired an online meeting of permanent Government members and ministries, sectors and local administrations on COVID-19 prevention and control on August 2.
PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at the meeting. (Photo: VGP)
Hanoi (VNA)- Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucchaired an online meeting of permanent Government members and ministries,sectors and local administrations on COVID-19 prevention and control on August2.
Underlining the riskof pandemic spreading not only in Da Nang but also other provinces and citiesnationwide, the PM requested all ministries, sectors and local administrationsto drastically isolate disease-hit areas and strictly impose social distancingto quickly stamp out any outbreaks in community, with the resolve to achievethe dual goals of controlling the epidemic while maintaining economic growth.
He commended Ho ChiMinh City and Hanoi for their drastic actions such as mass testing, tracingsuspected infections using information technology, and suspending the operationof certain sectors that can facilitate the spread of the disease.
“It is essential to act fast and resolutely, concentrate all resources for theepidemic control work, seize every hour, every minute to trace and monitor allsuspected cases of infection,” Phuc said.
Localities wheresocial distance measures have not been applied must strive to ensure productionand business activities, he said.
“Each citizen is asoldier, each house, hamlet, residential area is a fortress in the fightagainst the pandemic”, the PM said.
He recommended thatevery people install the Bluezone app to facilitate fast tracing of infection,adding that digital transformation should be promoted in such forms as onlineteaching and learning, distance medical checks and online public services.
The PM particularlyemphasized the need to ensure safety in health care facilities and medicalworkers.
Besides, he orderedthe strict handling of fake news and rumours on the pandemic.
PM Phuc added thatcareful consideration should be made before making any decision on imposingsocial distancing measures.
He required ministriesand localities to better implement social security and fiscal support packagesto ease difficulties for enterprises and people, while strictly punishingpeople who illegally enter and stay in Vietnam.
Localities should stayvigilant and ready to respond to any outbreak, while ensuring that healthregulations and recommendations on epidemic prevention be observed on publictransport means, especially flights, the PM said, calling on the people totrust pandemic control measures undertaken by the Government./.
Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, on August 2 stressed that those who fail to make health declarations and follow quarantine regulations must be handled strictly.
The Ministry of Health have sent a dispatch to authorities of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and the central province of Quang Nam, asking them to accelerate the tracing of locals who returned from Da Nang during the period from July 1 to 28 and other locations with a high risk of infection.
Vietnam recorded 30 new COVID-19 cases on August 2, raising the national tally to 620 as of August 2, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.
State President Luong Cuong’s trip once again reaffirmed the Party and State’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations. It also reflected the strong trend of enhanced cooperation among countries of the Global South in shaping a new, more multipolar, fair and equitable world order.
The outcomes of Party General Secretary To Lam's visit will serve as a driving force and source of inspiration for the two countries to inherit, promote, and elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributing to the national construction and development cause in each country, and to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 9 inspected the construction site of the new Phong Chau bridge, and surveyed a planned route for the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway section running through the northern province of Phu Tho.
Across print, broadcast, and online platforms, Angolan media portrayed State President Luong Cuong's visit as a warm and historic occasion, strengthening bilateral ties and boosting Vietnam’s presence in Africa through the AU.
The 500kV Lao Cai – Vinh Yen power transmission line has a total investment of over 7.41 trillion VND (282.5 million USD), and a total length of 229.5 km, passing through 31 communes in the two provinces, and comprising 468 transmission tower foundations.
The visits reflected the elevated position of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new era—aimed at not only advancing ties with key regional partners like Egypt and Angola but also delivering a strategic message about Vietnam’s commitment to deepening relations with African nations as a whole.
At their talks and meetings, President Cuong and Angola’s top leaders affirmed that the close brotherhood and traditional friendship are a valuable shared asset and a solid foundation for the two nations to advance into a new phase of development.
The ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attaches great importance to the friendship, solidarity, and comradeship with the Communist Party of Vietnam, and voiced her Party’s wish to further deepen and expand relations between the two sides for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Angolan people.
Vietnam pledges to do its utmost to build an ASEAN of solidarity, consensus, and unity in diversity, and to foster a fast and sustainable development path for ASEAN, grounded in science, technology, and innovation, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Party General Secretary To Lam called on the criminal police force to accelerate the application of science, technology, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation in criminal investigation tasks such as crime prevention, detection, tracking and verification, ensuring that no area remains out of their reach.
Many Koreans living, studying, and working in Hanoi see the upcoming state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) by Party General Secretary To Lam as an opportunity to generate strong synergy in economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and cultural understanding.
The achievements of the five decades of Vietnam–Angola cooperation provide a strong and enduring foundation, as well as momentum for the two sides to consolidate, expand, and bring their partnership into a new phase of development.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that the emulation and commendation work is a vital driver, fostering patriotism, dedication, and collective momentum in the run-up to the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress, Party congresses at all levels, and the 14th National Party Congress.
Emphasising the need for sustainable, long-term collaboration, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man called on Japanese investors not only to bring in capital but also to share expertise and modern technology, especially in areas such as green transformation, the circular economy, and advanced corporate governance.
President Luong Cuong's activities during his state visit to Angola, the celebration of the financial sector's 80th traditional day, and the Foreign Ministry's flag-hoisting ceremony marking the 58th founding anniversary of ASEAN are among news highlights on August 8.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung praised the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ meaningful initiative, noting that the ASEAN Family Run was not only a sporting activity but also an opportunity for diplomats and their families to show unity, connection, and solidarity within the ASEAN family.
Politburo member, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 8 attended the first congress of the Party Organisation of Tay Ho ward of Hanoi for the 2025–2030 term, during which he called for fresh momentum to turn the ward into a model that takes the lead in all fields.
The size of the economy increased from over 5 billion USD in 1986 to over 476 billion USD by 2024, making Vietnam the fourth-largest economy in Southeast Asia and the 34th largest in the world.
The ASEAN flag-hoisting ceremony is observed by the 10 ASEAN member countries on August 8 every year, aiming to spread and promote the ASEAN identity and affirm the determination to unite and cooperate for the common aspiration of long-term peace and prosperity of Southeast Asian countries under the common roof of the ASEAN Community.
Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Manh Cuong highlighted ASEAN’s nearly six decades of development, during which the region transformed from division to harmony, from confrontation to cooperation, and from poverty to dynamic growth, becoming a global bright spot for regional cooperation.
PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at the meeting. (Photo: VGP) 
