Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Tran Van Son speaks at the Government press conference (Photo: VNA)

The Government considers the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic the most important and urgent task at present, urging ministries, sectors and localities to exert all efforts to fight the pandemic and ensure sustainable growth.

The statement was made by Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Tran Van Son while he chaired the Government press conference announcing the outcomes of the Government’s regular meeting on August 11.

During the meeting, representatives of ministries, sectors and localities had proposed many urgent solutions to remove difficulties, control prices, and maintain sustainable growth, stated Son.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasised that as the actions in this period are decisive, it is necessary to take advantage of the social distancing period currently applied in many pandemic hotspots to carry out appropriate solutions; continue speeding up the implementation of the vaccine strategy; step up agricultural production and trade in goods; and prevent production disruptions, Son added.

According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the COVID-19 outbreak in July has had a significant impact on all aspects of the economy, especially in many industrial zones in the southern region. The pandemic has disrupted production, circulation and sale of goods in these areas.

In addition, domestic purchasing power and exports have decreased remarkably, and the lives people in quarantine sites, locked-down areas and those imposing social distancing have been severely affected.

In the first seven months of 2021, the average consumer price index increased by 1.64 percent year-on-year, the lowest growth rate since 2016. Index of industrial production rose by 7.9 percent over the same period last year. Total import and export turnover reached more than 373 billion USD, in which export turnover was valued at over 185 billion USD, up 25.5 percent year-on-year.