Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Wednesday called on citizens to stay strong and united and seriously comply with COVID-19 preventive measures in order to soon bring life to normal. 

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. Photo: VGP

Pham made the call amid complex evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic in Viet Nam with thousands of infection cases having been reported each day.

The Government is deeply aware of and empathizes with the material and mental hardships faced by the citizens over the past more than one year since the outbreak of the pandemic, he said.

From urban to rural streets, all have become almost empty because of COVID-19 while usually bustling with activities, marketplaces, airports, harbors, schools and factories are now strangely quiet; hospitals and treatment facilities in some areas are now more crowded than ever; many apartment complexes, stadiums, dormitories, and military barracks are grudgingly turned into field hospitals or quarantine sites; many meetings and reunions have no choice but to be interrupted. Manufacturing and commerce have been negatively affected and people are struggling as their income and savings deteriorate,  Pham added.

Against that backdrop, the fight against COVID-19 is now the most important and urgent task in order to soon contain and push back the pandemic, but it requires persistent and collective efforts, stressed PM Pham.

For its part, the Government is determined to effectively carry out its vaccine strategy based on three pillars: (i) purchasing vaccines as much and soon as possible, (ii) accelerating research and transfer of production technology, and getting people freely vaccinated in a bid to achieve herd immunity in early 2022.

The Government vows to seek every solution with the highest determination and greatest effort so as to realize the set goals to live up to the belief, hope and aspiration of the people.

Pham also urged the Cabinet members to uphold the responsibility before the Party, State and people, successfully fulfill the duties entrusted to them by the Party, State and people, and do their utmost to settle issues however hard they are to further improve spiritual and material life of the people. /.