The directive said Vietnam is facing a very high risk as it has a long border with China which sees busy activities. Authorities have taken many strong and resolute measures against the disease, but in many localities the spirit and the perception on the work are yet to be high while concrete and proactive plans are yet to be worked out.

Children wear facemasks while visiting the Hanoi Book Street on January 31.

As such, the Government leader ordered that authorities, organisations and individuals must strictly implement the PM’s directives on January 23 and 28, as well as the Party Central Committee’s document on January 30.

Localities sharing border lines with China must establish communications channels with their Chinese peers to intensify the work, the granting of permission for all the flights from China’s affected areas to Vietnam and vice versa be suspended except special cases approved by the PM, the directive said.

It further added that the issuance of tourist visas to foreign visitors who are or were in China in the past two weeks must also be suspended except official visas on special cases, and the entry and exit with border passes halted.

Localities are ordered to limit large gatherings, authorities forbidden to send Vietnamese workers to China, and trade and exchanges with China discouraged during the time of the epidemic.

The Ministry of Health must work out a plan and measures to cope with and control the disease, to be submitted to the PM by February 2, the Ministry of Information and Communications must intensify the information and communication on the situation and measures against the disease, and the people are asked to proactively implement advisories by relevant authorities.

Prospects from disease-free orange intensive farming model

(BGO) - In 2017, the Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute (the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences) was approved to deploy the project "Building the model of intensive farming of V2 and CS1 disease-free orange varieties in Lang Giang district” with a total budget of 2.3 billion VND (99,320 USD). After nearly 3 years of implementation, the project has achieved good results.

10,000 runners to race for children with heart diseases

About 10,000 people are expected to take part in the 2019 Run for the Heart race, an annual event to support disadvantaged children with congenital heart diseases.

National steering committee for coronavirus prevention set up

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has decided to establish a national steering committee for prevention and control of the acute respiratory disease caused by a new coronavirus (nCoV).

PM directs preventive measures against corona virus

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has issued Notice No.121/CD-TTg on intensifying prevention measures against the acute respiratory illness caused by a new strain of corona virus.

Source: VNA