Everyone entering Việt Nam from abroad will have to complete a medical declaration form to enter the country from 6am on Saturday.

The new regulation to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) applies to both foreigners and Vietnamese nationals.

Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam, also head of the national steering committee for COVID-19 prevention and control, made the announcement in a meeting on Friday of the steering committee.

The declaration can be filled in online at suckhoetoandan.vn/khaiyte or on paper at airports.

Earlier, the Ministry of Health (MoH) called for medical declarations for visitors coming from or travelling through the European Union (EU) and Cambodia from after 11.59pm on Friday.

Việt Nam has not seen any new case of the deadly virus since February 13. At present, more than 14,200 people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients, or those who entered Việt Nam from affected areas, are under supervision, including at hospitals, military quarters and at home, according to the MoH.

By Friday, more than 98,000 COVID-19 patients were reported in 88 countries and territories around the world, with more than 3,300 deaths.

In another development, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Lê Công Thành on Friday instructed that activities marking World Water Day on March 22, World Meteorology Day on March 23 and Earth Hour 2020 on March 28 be held online to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The activities will include online conferences, talk shows and broadcast reports to raise awareness of the various issues.

Training

The Việt Nam Medical Services Administration under the MoH on Friday finished a two-day training course on COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment.

The course, organised in Hà Nội, drew more than 200 doctors from provincial and municipal departments of health, provincial and district hospitals.

During the course, doctors listened to guidance on screening, quarantine, treatment and norms for discharging patients from hospitals.

Speaking at the course, Nguyễn Trọng Khoa, deputy director of the administration, said Việt Nam has entered a new period in COVID-19 prevention and control because many South Koreans and Japanese were living in the country. Besides, the epidemic has spread in the EU thus Việt Nam may have to receive many Vietnamese people returning home.

Everything must be well prepared, authorities and hospitals must be ready to put the best measures in place, he said.

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