Hanoi (VNA) - Ministerof Health Nguyen Thanh Long on November 13 called for COVID-19 prevention andcontrol measures to be tightened, as many people in the community have dropped theirguard.

At a meeting of the National Steering Committeefor COVID-19 Prevention and Control in Hanoi on November 13, the Ministry ofHealth (MoH) noted that the world had recorded nearly 52.5 million COVID-19cases as of November 13, including 1.3 million deaths, in 219 countries andterritories.

There were 6.5 million new infections and 95,000fatalities in the first two weeks of November alone, including some days of 500,000to 600,000 new cases and 10,000 fatalities.

Europe is currently the epicentre of thepandemic, where it is spreading quickly. Some countries in Southeast Asia havealso posted sharp rises in new case numbers, such as Singapore, Indonesia, andthe Philippines.

In Vietnam, the number of cases stands at 1,253,including 596 imported cases. It has now been free of community transmissionfor 72 consecutive days.

The MoH said, however, that the risk oftransmission remains, especially as international flights are set to increase andthe winter and spring provide conditions favourable for infectious diseases.

In calling for tightened anti-COVID-19 measures,the minister also urged greater resolve and that all forces be engaged in the taskmore strongly.

He added that it is impossible to guarantee therewill be no local infections in the time ahead, so ministries, sectors, andlocalities must update their COVID-19 planning scenarios and gear up for the winter.

The MoH is boosting negotiations with foreignvaccine suppliers while stepping up domestic development and production, hesaid, stressing that the country should not rely only on vaccines and mustremain vigilant and increase its anti-pandemic efforts.

Experts at the meeting also called for theacceleration of vaccine development and production and the strict management of people's entry into Vietnam.

With vigilance slipping, the committee decidedto organise COVID-19 prevention and control exercises and to continue sending inspectionteams to ports of entry and accommodation facilities for the foreseeable future./.