Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh ordered meticulous and thorough research and evaluation of the Delta variant in order to design proper and effective response measures.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chairs a virtual meeting with Ho Chi Minh City
authorities on COVID-19 response, July 8, 2021 - Photo: VGP

Addressing the meeting a virtual meeting with Ho Chi Minh City authorities on Wednesday, PM Pham said the decision to impose stricter social distancing rules in line with the Government’s Directive No. 16 in the city from July 9 is a difficult but thoroughly considered move as the COVID-19 fight is the top priority now.

The Government chief also called for greater care for those who have lost their jobs and vulnerable groups to ensure that no one is hungry.

Pham tasked the city to coordinate with the Ministry of Health and relevant ministries and agencies to develop a response plan for a scenario in which the number of COVID-19 patient tally reaches 50,000.

Speaking at the event, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long emphasized successful containment of COVID-19 outbreaks in the southern metropolis would decide the overall success of the fight against the current fourth COVID-19 wave in its surrounding localities in particular and in Viet Nam in general.

Around 10,000 medical staff will be sent to assist the city in test sample collection, diagnosis, and treatment, said Nguyen.

He suggested the city apply three levels of preventive rules: (i) social distancing in the entire city in line with the Government’s Directive No. 16, (ii) lockdown on high-risk areas, and (iii) stricter measures [the measures imposed in quarantine camps] in pandemic-hit areas.

For the pandemic hit-areas, the city should conduct testing once every three days and prepare 50,000 beds for treating COVID-19 asymptomatic COVID-19 patients who accounts for around 70 percent of the city’s total cases.

Around 8.7 million COVID-19 vaccine doses are expected to land in Viet Nam this month, said Nguyen, adding that Ho Chi Minh City and its neighboring localities will be the first to receive the vaccines.

According to Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Long, the city has prepared 400 taxis to serve citizens who need to go to hospitals in case of emergency.

The city mayor called for the ministry’s manpower support to get ready for the scenario of having 20,000 infection cases.

With 915 new community infection cases confirmed on Wednesday, the city’s patient tally reached 9,066 since the current wave began in the country in late April this year./.