Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc demands more drastic and comprehensive measures to stamp out COVID-19 outbreaks before Lunar New Year after authorities have found 149 community cases infected with new strain in five localities over the past five days. 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chairs a meeting on COVID-19 response at
the National Convention Center in Ha Noi on January 29, 2021. Photo: VGP

The Government chief stressed the point at an urgent meeting which was attended by Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung and several Cabinet members.

Nguyen Thanh Long, Minister of Health said the aforesaid cases include 130 in Hai Duong, 15 in Quang Ninh, two in Ha Noi, one in Hai Phong and one in Bac Ninh.

As of Friday morning Hai Duong authorities conducted 3,672 tests out of 4,890 samples, according Long.

The Ministry of Health will continue zoning off the affected areas and ramping up sample collection and testing in the locality, he added. 

Meanwhile, Quang Ninh authorities have traced and collected around 10,000 samples and have detected 15 infection cases linked to a security staff (who was confirmed positive for COVID-19 on Thursday and became patient numbered 1552) working at the Van Don International Aiport.

All the latest cases in Ha Noi, Bac Ninh and Hai Phong are linked to the COVID-19 cluster in Hai Duong’s Chi Linh City, said Minister Long.

The Ministry, as Long said, will continue dispatching experts to assist Hai Duong in enhancing testing capacity to 50,000 samples per day.

Overview of the meeting. Photo: VGP

After hearing reports and ideas of the participants at the meeting, PM Phuc spoke highly of the efforts made by the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control and competent agencies, especially the Ministry and relevant localities in employing proactive and drastic measures in response to new pandemic situation.

He emphasized that this is a more transmissible strain, thus it requires faster pace of contact tracing and large-scale testing as well as other comprehensive measures to effective stop the pandemic from further spreading to communities.

Phuc also ordered subordinate levels to maintain high vigilance and closely monitor the situation so as to take prompt actions against the new wave of infections.

All localities must strengthen warnings on the pandemic, contain and stop transmission as soon as possible, and ensure rapid and large-scale testing on all people displaying symptoms and coming in close contact with the confirmed cases.

He agreed to activate field hospital system and training for health workers in order to ensure treatment capacity for COVID-19 cases and other patients.

Localities reporting new community infections were asked to impose social distancing in high-risk areas and zone off pandemic-hit areas proper manner so as to prevent spread of the virus while ensuring socio-economic activities.

PM Phuc tasked the Ministry of Health to submit a plan on manufacturing and purchasing vaccine.

The Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Health and People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities must continue strengthening border control to prevent illegal entries./.