Deputy PM: Vietnam maintains constant, unchanged anti-COVID-19 strategy

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, also the head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, made the statement during a meeting with the press on May 11.

Dam affirmed that since the pandemic broke out in the country, thanks to its consistent anti-epidemic strategy, Vietnam has remained one of the best performers in the world, despite being among the countries with the highest risk of infection and also having recorded some of the first infections in the world.

Anti-epidemic principles, steps and mottos are well defined, such as prevention, detection, isolation, zoning, suppression and active treatment, and these principles have so far remained unchanged, he stated.

The deputy PM affirmed that local authorities have been assigned the responsibility for taking the necessary anti-epidemic measures based on professional guidelines and their in-place forces and means.

Regarding COVID-19 vaccines, Deputy PM Dam said that the policy from the beginning of Vietnam is that there must be vaccines to fight against the epidemic on a long-term basis. Vietnam is seeking both imports and domestic production to get vaccines for injection.

However, due to a shortage of vaccines around the world, while it is expected a certain amount of locally-made vaccines will be available by the end of 2021, at least from now until that time, Vietnam still has to implement the same measures to prevent COVID-19 as when there were no vaccines.

The Government is calling on the public to be aware of their sense of responsibility to seriously implement all measures to prevent and fight COVID-19, as well as joining the prevention and detection of illegal entries.

This afternoon, the Ministry of Health recorded an additional 18 COVID-19 cases, of which 16 were recorded in locked-down areas, and two were imported cases.

The two imported cases, including a Vietnamese citizen returning from Sweden and an Indian expert, had been quarantined in the southern province of Dong Nai upon their arrival in Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat airport.

Among the domestically-transmitted cases, ten were documented in Bac Giang province, two in Hanoi, two in Quang Tri, and Bac Ninh and Hai Duong one each.

So far, Vietnam has recorded 2,071 domestically-transmitted infections and 1,436 imported cases. The number of fatalities remains at 35.

Hanoi City People's Committee Chairman Chu Ngoc Anh (middle) inspects anti-COVID-19 work in Gia Lam district. (Photo: NDO)

Earlier this morning, Hanoi City People's Committee Chairman Chu Ngoc Anh issued a new directive with urgent measures to prevent and control the COVID-19 epidemic in the capital city.

Facing the complex developments of COVID-19 in the latest infection wave, the chairman requested local authorities and people focus on fighting against the epidemic with the highest spirit and in a more drastic and speedy manner.

The city requested that unnecessary meetings and activities must stop as well as gatherings of more than 10 people outside of offices, schools, hospitals and voting venues serving the upcoming national election.

The document also urged tightening the entire process of epidemic prevention and control at medical establishments, while strengthening remote medical examination and treatment.

Local authorities at all levels must develop detailed plans and scenarios to ensure absolute safety against the pandemic during the upcoming elections of deputies to the 15th National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels for the 2021-2026 term.

On May 11, Bac Ninh province sent missions to inspect COVID-19 prevention and control in industrial zones in the locality. The delegates discussed ideas to better the work in local enterprises. The local authorities requested regular inspections over the implementation of anti-COVID-19 regulations.

In the neighbouring province of Bac Giang, since early this morning, local authorities imposed a three-day temporary blockade on the villages of Me Dien 1, 2 and 3 in Viet Yen district, as well as taking samples from 15,000 residents and workers in the blocked areas. The move is to control an outbreak over the past two days at Shig Young Co., Ltd. in Van Trung Industrial Park.

By the end of May 10, Ha Nam province had injected 4,717 people working on the front line against COVID-19. The vaccination plan in Ha Nam was held across two rounds, with the first from April 27 to 29 and Phase 2 from May 5 to 12.

COVID-19 testing conducted on over 2,000 people working at the Da Nang International Airport on May 11, 2021. (Photo: NDO/Anh Dao)

The Da Nang Centre for Disease Control on May 11 conducted COVID-19 testing for more than 2,000 people working at the International Airport as part of the central city's efforts to screen high-risk groups. Also on May 11, the city is scheduled to carry out large-scale testing for people working at gas stations and sellers at markets with links to COVID-19 patients’ epidemiological information announced over the past few days.

On the afternoon of May 10, a delegation from the Dak Lak Provincial Party Committee visited border officials and soldiers on duty protecting against COVID-19 along the borderline in the province. The mission gave gifts to soldiers at the Serepok border post and three quarantine posts on the border with Mondulkiri province, Cambodia, belonging to the Border Stations of Serepok, Bo Heng and Yók Don in Buon Don and Ea Sup districts.

On the morning of May 11, the Department of Education and Training of Quang Ngai Province sent out an official letter allowing local students to go back to school to continue their study and sit their tests at the end of the second semester from May 12, thereby ending the current 2020-2021 school year by May 20.

However, due to the complicated COVID-19 situation in other localities, students in An Giang province have to temporarily stop going to school from May 11, along with about 226,000 children from 682 kindergartens in Thanh Hoa province. Dong Nai province is also allowing local students to leave school from May 12 to ensure their safety against COVID-19.

Measuring students’ temperature when going to school. (Photo: NDO/Tran Thanh Dung)

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will strengthen inspection and supervision over the implementation of COVID-19 safety registration and self-assessment at tourist accommodation establishments to contribute to protecting the health of people and visitors and prevent the spread of the disease through the tourism industry .

At a meeting held on May 10 with representatives from the ministry’s standing agencies for COVID-19 response, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Trinh Thi Thuy urged the ministry’s competent agencies to strengthen guidance, urging the monitoring and strict implementation of the registration and self-assessment of safety against COVID-19 at tourist accommodation establishments.

On May 11, at landmark 113, belonging to the Tay Trang International Border Gate, Dien Bien Province, local authorities presented medical supplies for epidemic prevention to six Northern Lao provinces, including Phongsaly, Oudomxay, Luang Prabang, Bokeo, Sainyabuli and Luang Namtha. With a budget of over VND600 million, the Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control of Dien Bien province purchased essential medical equipment for the epidemic prevention work and donated it, each province receiving 32,000 medical masks, 200 bottles of antiseptic solution, each measuring 1 litre, and 300 level 3 anti-epidemic suits.