ASEAN leaders adopted the Declaration of the Special ASEAN Summit on COVID-19 at the end of the online Special ASEAN Summit on the pandemic which was chaired by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on April 14, issuing first ever guidelines for coordinated efforts by the group against the pandemic.

Social distancing measures need to be lifted in a gradual and prudent manner that suits each locality’s situation so as to achieve the dual target of effectively controlling the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuring socio-economic development, according to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chaired the online Special ASEAN+3 Summit with China, Japan and the Republic of Korea on April 14 on the COVID-19 response, following the success of the Special ASEAN Summit on the same issue.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has recently granted an interview on the outcomes of the Special ASEAN and ASEAN+3 Summits on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The online ASEAN Special Summit and ASEAN+3 Special Summit on COVID-19 response are taking place today in Hanoi.

In his recent phone talks with European Commissioner for Trade Phil Hogan, Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh exchanged views on a number of issues related to the European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and bilateral cooperation and trade in the context of the raging COVID-19 pandemic.

Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said over the past time, the Foreign Ministry has worked with Vietnamese representative agencies abroad, and domestic and foreign agencies to help nearly 1,500 Vietnamese citizens return home safely.

The ASEAN Special Summit and the ASEAN+3 Special Summit on COVID-19 Response will be held online on April 14 with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chairing over the events as ASEAN Chair 2020, Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung announced.

Failing to wear masks in public, reporting inaccurate health statuses or evading quarantine are just some actions that could result in heavy fines or even a criminal trial.

Vietnam has decided to extend temporary residence permit for foreigners who are currently in the country and unable to leave because of travel restrictions or quarantine order related to COVID-19, according to the Immigration Department under the Ministry of Public Security.

The Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency has encouraged localities, businesses and trade promotion organizations develop online marketing measures during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, said agency director Vu Ba Phu.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on March 31 has issued a range ofnbsp;stringentnbsp;social distancing measures, including restricting people from leaving their homes and banning gatherings of more than two people in public.

Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong on March 30 appealed to compatriots, comrades and soldiers nationwide and overseas Vietnamese to stay united in their will and actions in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Policies and regulations must be ready once the Europe-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) is approved so Vietnamese enterprises can reap the benefits of the trade pact.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has made all of its 292 public administrative services online, 166 of which are level-3 and -4 services while the remainders are level-2, according to the ministry’s Vietnam e-Commerce and Digital Economy Agency.

The National Assembly Standing Committee is willing to support and create favorable conditions for the Government to effectively implement countermeasures against the COVID-19 pandemic, said NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

The State Bank of Vietnam has said it will not cap foreign ownership of companies in the payment services industry in its draft decree to replace Decree 101.

Vietnam will suspend the granting of visa to foreigners for 30 days beginning 00:00 on March 18, the Foreign Ministry announced on March 17, stressing that the move aims at curbing the spread of COVID-19 in the community.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on March 18 ordered authorities and localities nationwide to ensure food security “under any circumstance”, stressing this is not only an immediate but also long-term issue.

Adjustments to Vietnam’s entry regulations amid the rapid and complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic are based on the principle of non-discrimination, said spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang on March 20.