At the meeting (Photo: VNA)

Lawmakers highlighted the role of information and communications in the fight against COVID-19 and economic development during the ongoing second session of the 15th National Assembly in Hanoi on November 9.

Deputy Pham Nam Tien from the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong cited a survey by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) as saying that since mid-March, information and communications has been one of the sectors hardest hit by the pandemic. A number of news outlets were forced to scale off or suspend the production of print papers.

In the fight against the pandemic, he noted that fake and untruthful news on social media also spread like an epidemic in an uncontrolled manner, resulting in public misunderstandings. Several localities failed to perform well in communication work when issuing guiding documents, making it hard for residents to promptly adapt to the pandemic.

Deputy Dang Xuan Phuong representing the central province of Nghe An suggested that the Government’s report should add assessments on the efficiency of information and communication work. He proposed the Government issue a communication strategy for the long-term fight against the pandemic and economic recovery. The Party’s guidelines and State’s policies should be conveyed to the public in the quickest way via clear and succinct messages, he said.

Opinions also called for reaching consensus on the use of only one app for anti-pandemic activities nationwide.

Deputy Nguyen Hai Trung, Director of the Hanoi Public Security, said the sector put into operation the national population database this year and issued 50 million chip-based ID cards for citizens, which proved efficiency in the fight against the pandemic, especially in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and southern localities.

In accordance with the Government’s Resolution No.128/NQ-CP, the national population database has been connected with the database on vaccinated, tested and COVID-19-infected residents, making it easier for managing their travelling and fighting the pandemic.

The Minister of Public Security and the Secretary of the Hanoi municipal Party Committee also agreed to control those to and from the football match between Vietnam and Japan at My Dinh national stadium on November 11 based on ID cards incorporated with vaccination database./.