The supply chains estimated at US$58 billion could be great potential for growth of Vietnam if being fully tapped. So the key issue would be whether Vietnamese SMEs could grasp this opportunity, said an expert.

Any process that is deemed cumbersome for enterprises must be changed, said Minister of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung.

The working teams will keep an eye on the epidemic which leaves more than 60 suspected cases so far.

Vietnam declares the national epidemic after the country found six infected cases, including one under human-to-human transmission.

The order is not lockdown yet but the government will take further steps if the pandemic spreads wider.