People in Hanoi make medical declaration by scanning the QR code during the peak of the fourth outbreak.

The government said in its recent dispatch that the Prime Minister has assigned the Ministry of Health to work on the task and make recommendations.

The Ministry of Health proposed the 5K practice (wearing face masks – disinfecting – keeping distance – avoiding gatherings – making medical declaration) in August 2020, when Vietnam was confronted with the second outbreak of the disease, and it has been since observed nationwide.  

Vietnam has experienced four such outbreaks and the latest and longest outbreak is on the downward trajectory, with daily infections falling from nearly 200,000 months ago to just more than 2,000 at present.

Vietnam has reopened its economy to the world and almost all economic production activities and people’s lives have returned to normal.

Given the new context, many officials and experts argue there is no point in sticking to the 5K practice, as the rules of keeping distance and avoiding gatherings for instance are no longer consistent with the actual situation.