Deputy PM Dam, who is also Head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, said the improvement of testing, traceability and treatment capacity, helps not only Gia Lai but also other provinces in the Central Highlands region become better prepared for effectively preventing and controlling the pandemic.

Vice Chairwoman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Thanh Lich said all F0 cases in Gia Lai are linked to the two outbreaks in Cheo Reo ward of Ayun Pa town, and Ia Trok commune in Ia Pa district.

On February 4 afternoon, Gia Lai recorded four more COVID-19 infections, lifting its tally to 18 cases. All of them are quarantined in concentrated quarantine areas, she said.

As many as 3,714 samples have been collected for testing, she added.

Director of the MoH’s Department of Preventive Medicine Dang Quang Tan said the Nha Trang Pasteur Institute and  the Ho Chi Minh City Pasteur Institute provided three test systems for Gia Lai to help the locality speed up testing and tracing.

According to Tuan, the Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi has sent its staff to Gia Lai to support the locality, while the MoH also provided the province with medical masks and equipment serving treatment.

Deputy PM Dam told the meeting that the outbreaks in Hai Duong, Quang Ninh, and Hanoi since January 27 have also been basically controlled.