In regard to recent COVID-19 infection cases in Ho Chi Minh City, there is nothing more urgent than contact tracing and quarantine, Prime Minister Phuc said. The Government is probing the cause, and violators of COVID-19 quarantine regulations will be held accountable, he added, asking localities nationwide to be vigilant in the battle against the coronavirus.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and ministers at the November cabinet meeting (Photo: VGP)

The Prime Minister said the top economic priority should be given to removing obstacles to production and trade. International organizations predict the Vietnamese economy will grow 2.5-2.8% in 2020.

While other economies were hit hard by the pandemic, Vietnam’s growth momentum continued. Socio-economic indices are encouraging, with the macro-economy stable and inflation under control. Vietnam’s trade surplus reached a record high of 20 billion USD and exports generated 254 billion USD in the most recent review period. Processing and manufacturing are recovering. Consumer services have bounced back, with an increase of 8.5% in retail consumer goods and services in November alone. 6.7% more new companies were reported this year than last year.