Continuing the spirit of "Fighting the epidemic likes fighting the enemy"

​Dong Nai attended an online meeting with the Prime Minister

Multi-source, multi-variant

According to Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long, the 4th epidemic had the characteristics of multiple epidemic sources, mainly from the industrial parks to the community, from the community to the industrial parks; Multi-infectious strains, besides two super-infectious strains from India and the UK, had discovered a new hybrid strain between Indian strains and British strains. The virus spreaded very quickly, spreaded in the air, the number of cases increased exponentially in a very short time, many severe cases.

The epidemic situation is very complicated in Bac Giang and Bac Ninh, mainly spreading in industrial parks and worker hostels due to the high density of workers, living and working in narrow, closed spaces, shared toilets, shared meals. Although these localities had taken many drastic measures to prevent the epidemic, it was forecast that the number of Covid-19 cases would continue to appear in the near future. Two localities with large crowds, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City currently have scattered outbreaks and clusters of cases in the community, but both localities have been implementing methodical solutions to control well epidemic situation. In the past days, the Ministry of Health and localities have made efforts to provide medical human resources to support Bac Giang and Bac Ninh in disease control.

Regarding vaccines, the Ministry of Health is continuing to make efforts to access all vaccine sources to inject people, the goal is to achieve herd immunity by the end of 2021. However, currently, the demand for vaccines in the world is very large, leading to a global shortage of vaccines. Up to now, Vietnam has signed commitments with companies and units around the world to have in hand more than 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine, which can be injected for 70% of the population aged 18 and over. Vietnam is making continuous efforts to have more 40 million doses of vaccine in 2021. The Ministry of Health will prioritize vaccines for people in Bac Giang and Bac Ninh first, then continue to distribute them to localities developing well disease control.

Emphasizing the great risk of disease in industrial zones, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long suggested that localities should quickly develop response scenarios and plan specific production distancing in each factory, industrial zone when epidemic appears. Workers must be strictly managed right from the workplaces, when traveling by means of transport to the place of residence. Because only 1 case of infection in an industrial park will lead to a very high risk of infection.

Industrial parks must carry out regular screening tests for employees in the enterprises, at least 20% of workers or more. Business owners must further increase accountability. Localities need to strengthen inspection and supervision of enterprises in industrial zones. When vaccines are available, the Ministry of Health will transfer to localities, giving priority to workers in industrial zones.

In addition, localities need to well implement social distancing and early blockade when there is an epidemic; consolidate Covid groups in the community, in enterprises and industrial parks; application of information technology to trace and prevent epidemics from spreading.

Need total force to prevent and fight the epidemic

Concluding remarks at the conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that, in general, the Covid-19 epidemic situation in the country is under control, but locally, some localities are facing many difficulties due to the complicated development of the epidemic. These virus strains spread quickly, making the epidemic situation complicated and difficult to control. The infection from the community to the industrial parks, from the industrial parks to the community, from crowded activities, religious activities caused the number of infections to increase sharply.

There are many reasons leading to the above situation, including the reason that some localities and units were negligent, subjective, and lost their vigilance when there was no epidemic. Some localities were not sure about the situation, did not take appropriate measures at the beginning; a part of the people were negligent, subjective and lack of seriousness in the implementation of regulations on epidemic prevention and control.                                           

Therefore, in the coming time, local leaders need to closely follow the situation to lead and direct timely, drasticly and right direction, and come up with many possible solutions. Need total efforts to prevent the epidemic, focus time, intelligence and effort with the highest sense of responsibility. People with higher positions must be exemplary in disease prevention and control. In addition, all human and material resources must be mobilized to join hands in epidemic prevention; remove difficulties in mechanisms and policies to serve epidemic prevention and control.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh praised the frontline forces to against the epidemic, including: health care, police, army; the epidemic localities have taken drastic action all days and nights; the majority of people have supported the leadership of the Party, together with the Party and State in effective epidemic prevention and control.

In the near future, the Prime Minister sets the goal of taking care, protecting of people's health and lives above all else. Applying flexibly and creatively many solutions to contain, repel, control and fight the Covid-19 epidemic, especially in localities being hot spots of the epidemic. In addition, it is also necessary to focus on economic development, ensure security, national defense, social order and safety; end the 2020-2021 school year safely.

Continuing the spirit of "Fighting the epidemic likes fighting the enemy", the Prime Minister called on the entire people to attack quickly, strongly and more effectively with greater determination, greater efforts, and more drastic action, more efficient, focused.

Epidemic prevention and control must be people-centered and subject. Local leaders must firmly grasp and forecast the situation, combine harmoniously, rationally and effectively between prevention and attack, take attack as the main, breakthrough, prevention as the basic, as the permanent, long-term, decisive strategy. Absolutely do not be negligent, subjective or lose vigilance when there is no epidemic, but also do not panic, fear, lack of composure, bravery when there is an epidemic. From there, intelligently come up with appropriate treatment plans.

Localities need to tighten discipline to encourage innovation and creativity in epidemic prevention and control. Strengthen inspection, supervision, decentralization, both doing and learning from experience, promote good practices, strengthen advocacy and propaganda so that people can know, understand, participate and enjoy the success of the project of epidemic prevention. Each person must protect himself to protect the community and vice versa. From there, proceed to protect the interests of the nation and people. Using difficulties as motivation to strive, rise to affirm the will of the nation, turn no into yes, turn difficulty into easy, impossible into possible. In any situation, must be united, alert, proactive, and promote collective intelligence to overcome difficulties.

The Prime Minister has also assigned responsibilities to Deputy Prime Ministers in charge of directing epidemic prevention and socio-economic development in a number of key localities. At the same time, it is suggested that localities in the implementation process have any difficulties, they should immediately propose to relevant ministries and branches to quickly remove.

Emphasizing the important role of vaccines, the Prime Minister suggested that in addition to actively accessing vaccine sources to buy, it is necessary to actively research and produce vaccines in the country. Organize vaccination in order of priority, explain to people to understand and participate in vaccination with a high rate when there is enough vaccine. The motto is remote prevention, strictly implementing 5K + VACCINE + TECHNOLOGY to trace and safely control Covid-19.

The Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to immediately support businesses and people affected by the epidemic. The concerned ministries, branches and localities strictly control the issue of illegal entry and residence. Mobilize all legal resources from people and businesses to buy vaccines to against Covid-19. Management boards of industrial parks and enterprises focus on protecting health of workers, harmonizing the interests of people, businesses and the state.

The Ministry of Health is responsible for mobilizing resources from medical schools to participate in epidemic prevention in urgent situations. Propaganda work must make people understand and respond, join hands with the whole political system to perform well the dual tasks and goals of both epidemic prevention and socio-economic development.