PM urges maintaining vigilance against COVID-19

speaks at the meeting. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh
Chinh asked ministries, agencies and localities to maintain vigilance against
COVID-19 while addressing a meeting in Hanoi on August 6.

Speaking at the meeting of the National Steering
Committee for Prevention and Control, the leader stressed the significance
of vaccination, and urged ministries, agencies and localities, particularly the
Ministry of Health, to step up the communication work.

The resurgence of COVID-19 outbreak must be
prevented, said Chinh, who is also head of the committee, emphasising the three
pillars in the fight – testing, quarantine and treatment.

Given the appearance of new epidemics, the PM said
it is necessary to ensure resources, the quality of preventive health care and
medical infrastructure, and enhance grassroots health care.

Acting Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan reported at
the meeting that in the first seven months of this year, the country recorded
over 9 million cases of COVID-19, of which the number of recoveries reached
more than 8.5 million and fatalities, 11,000.

As of August 4, some 247 million doses of COVID-19
vaccines had been administered, putting Vietnam among the countries with the
highest vaccination coverage.

PM Chinh requested that targeted groups should
receive the third and fourth shots, and children aged from five to 12 should
got the second within this month.

The leader reiterated the spirit of safely and
flexibly adapting to and effectively controlling the pandemic to accelerate
rapid economic recovery and sustainable development.

He asked the Ministry of Planning and Investment to
give guidelines on bidding procedures relating to the procurement of medical
equipment, and handle obstacles to the work.

More than 82 trillion VND (3.5 billion USD) has been
allocated so far, benefiting 728,488 employers and 49.94 million employees and
other groups affected by the pandemic, the leader noted, asking the Ministry of
Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to instruct localities to better implement
such policies.

Chinh also called for greater efforts in the fight
against corruption and stronger international cooperation in COVID-19
prevention and control.

At the meeting, representatives of localities
suggested the Government pay more attention to policies towards health workers
at the grassroots level and preventive health care sector.

The Ministry of Health should upgrade COVID-19
prevention and control measures at industrial parks, and production and business
facilities, and continue to help localities with medical supplies in the
combat, they said./.