Vietnam Officially Recognizes COVID-19 As National Epidemic - Prime Minister

BANGKOK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st April, 2020) Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc declared on Wednesday COVID-19 to be a national epidemic of a "Class A infectious disease" per the law on the prevention and control of infectious diseases, according to the official government news portal, VGP.

"Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on April 1 officially declared COVID-19 a national epidemic as the infection cases rose to 212 in 25 provinces and cities across Viet Nam. Of the total infection cases, 196 have been confirmed since March 6, according to the Ministry of Health. As many as 63 cases have been cleared of the virus and exited hospitals as of Wednesday morning," the statement read.

It added that official Class A diseases include extremely dangerous infectious diseases that can transmit rapidly in a widespread manner with a high mortality rate.

The announcement of the national epidemic gives the central government and Vietnam's regional authorities the right to impose additional time limits to fight the virus, according to the Vietnamese VNA state-run news agency.

Starting on Wednesday, Vietnam temporarily closed its borders with Laos and Cambodia, banning any movement through permanent and temporary border checkpoints. Large cities have introduced preventive measures to contain the spread of the virus.