Finalizing the Covid-19 Epidemic Prevention and Control Strategy

​Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Cao Tien Dung states at the meeting

Specialist Level 2 Dr. Bach Thai Binh, Director of the Provincial Center for Disease Control, reported on the draft plan for the whole province and large-scale Covid-19 testing in the coming days. The target of the testing campaign is 100% of people in very high-risk, high-risk areas; 100% of family representatives in risk areas and 20% of family representatives in new normal areas being sampled for screening testing. An estimated 2.1 million people were sampled for testing. The period is from August 14 to August 31, 2021.

Accordingly, for very high-risk communes/wards, the whole population will be sampled 3 times, each time 3-5 days apart, the first 2 times by rapid testing, the 3rd time by RT-PCR (Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction or Real Time - PCR) testing in the form of pooled samples.

For high-risk communes/wards, medical staff wil take samples 3 times 100% of households, with an interval of 3-5 days.

For communes/wards at risk, medical staff wil take samples twice for 100% of households. First time samples 1 person/household by the rapid testing. The second time samples 1 person/household by the RT-PCR testing, 3-5 days apart each time.

For new normal communes/wards, taking samples once by the rapid testing at least 20% of households, priority is given to households at risk such as: selling essential goods, markets, grocery stores, banks, etc. In addition, Those who have symptoms suspected of being infected with Covid-19 should take a sample for rapid test or RT-PCR test.

The Health sector expects that out of the 2.1 million people tested on a large scale, there will be from 9,000 - 18,000 people confirmed to be positive for Covid-19 or possibly higher. At that time, it is expected that patients treated at the 2^nd floor of the treatment tower will be from 1,800 to 3,6,000 people. It is expected that the number of cases contacting with positive cases is at least 45,000 people.

Doctor Nguyen Duc Son, Head of the Working Group of the Ministry of Health in Dong Nai suggested that the province should requisition establishments of the temporarily closed enterprises and schools to make concentrated quarantine areas when F0, F1 cases will be gone high in the next few days. At the same time, the province calculates the distance among hostels to reduce infection.

At the meeting, representatives of leaders of departments, agencies and branches contributed ideas related to the relevant problems such as the provision of meals, means of transportation for the F0, F1 cases...

Ph.D.-Dr. Nguyen Duc Son, Deputy Director of the National Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health, Head of the Working Group of the Ministry of Health in Dong Nai proposed the relevant contents.

Concluding at the meeting, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee suggested that departments, branches and localities must prepare and maximize all force resources to serve this large-scale testing campaign.

In particular, the Department of Transport is responsible for mobilizing taxi drivers and shipper to join the campaign, to carry out the task of transporting cases of F0 and F1 to the quarantine areas and treatment facilities; goods transportation, etc.

Mobilizing economic sectors provide meals for F0, F1 cases, serving forces in quarantine and treatment areas... Provincial Red Cross Association and Provincial Women Union act as focal points and use the kitchens of big enterprises being temporarily suspended production in the area to serve the campaign.

Mobilize facilities, factories, schools... makes the quarantine and treatment areas for F0 and F1 cases; mobilize private medical, in-school healthcare, military medical forces and other forces participates in sampling for testing, ensuring sufficient forces to participate in the campaign. Along with that, mobilizing food resources supplies the kitchens, gives priority to food sources from operating farms in the province and neighboring localities facing difficulties in product consumption. 

The Department of Health and related sectors should pay attention to support the maximum resources for Bien Hoa City to ensure the successful implementation of the plan. In the master plan, it is necessary to clearly define the risk areas from districts/cities to each hamlet; provide detailed instructions for departments, branches and localities to effectively implement together.

As for testing, provincial leaders especially pay attention not to let the test results be returned more than 48 hours late. All drivers of agencies in the political system can be mobilized to participate in transporting samples from districts to testing places. Particularly, the Office of the Provincial People's Committee will send 2 vehicles to support the sample transportation. The Department of Transport considers mobilizing dozens of vehicles to participate in sample transportation, absolutely not to break the testing problem.

Regarding the work of emulation and commendation, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee emphasized that, over the past time, the medical forces, police, army and frontline forces against the epidemic have worked hard all day and night, not taking risks to perform their duties. Many cases have been infected during the working process, but there has not been timely encouragement, reward and support from leaders at all levels. Therefore, the units pay more attention to this issue and have timely proposals for the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee to reward and encourage the frontline forces to fight the epidemic.  

Particularly for the volunteer youth force, the union members who are active and meet the conditions will immediately join into the Party to recognize their contributions to the community.

 Viet Anh