Vietnam will continue to keep borders closed to foreign tourists for now, stated Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

In the long term, high gold prices could affect prices of other goods, weaken the Vietnamese dong and push inflation, said expert Nguyen Tri Hieu.

HSBC economists forecast GDP expansion of 3% in 2020 for Vietnam, the only ASEAN country they expect to have positive growth this year.

As of July 20, the government delayed a payment worth VND47.6 trillion (US$2.04 billion) of land rental fees and taxes for enterprises, organizations and household businesses.

The Covid-19 resurgence in July deals a further blow to the business community and the overall recovery efforts.