Thông báo 22/TB-VPCP

NOTIFICATION

PRIME MINISTER’S CONCLUSION IN MEETING OF STANDING GOVERNMENT MEMBERS ON COVID-19 PREVENTION AND CONTROL

In the afternoon of January 29, 2021, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chaired a meeting with standing members of the Government on COVID-19 prevention and control with the participation of Deputy Prime Ministers Truong Hoa Binh, Pham Binh Minh, Vu Duc Dam and Trinh Dinh Dung; Minister, Chairman of the Office of the Government Mai Tien Dung, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung, Deputy Minister of National Defense Vu Hai San, members of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control (hereinafter referred to as “National Steering Committee”); Secretary of Hai Duong Party Executive Committee Pham Xuan Thang, Secretary of Quang Ninh Party Executive Committee Nguyen Xuan Ky, and representatives of Party Executive Committees and People’s Committees of Hanoi, Hai Phong, Hai Duong, Quang Ninh and Bac Ninh.

After listening to the reports from the National Steering Committee as well as opinions from the Deputy Prime Ministers and other attendees, the Prime Minister gave the following directions:

1. The Prime Minister recognized and strongly applauded the National Steering Committee, ministries, central authorities (especially the Ministry of Health) and local governments, especially Hai Duong, Quang Ninh, Hanoi, Hai Phong and Bac Ninh, for their proactive and vigorous adoption of measures against COVID-19, including timely and serious implementation of the Prime Minister’s Directive No. 05/CT-TTg dated January 28, together with strong solutions, which results in quick identification of two new epidemic hotspots, as well as their efficient organization of isolation, social distancing and large-scale tracing and testing.

In response to new developments of the pandemic, especially the appearance of new more infectious virus variants, and in the “new normal”, the Prime Minister requested ministries, central authorities and local governments to continue to mobilize the whole political system and seriously follow mottos, strategies and measures against COVID-19, including:

- Seriously adopt COVID-19 preventive measures; increase vigilance; continue to fight the “war” against the disease; employ the strategy of prioritizing prevention, eliminating imported infection, thoroughly identifying and eradicating domestic hotspots and providing effective treatment.

- Follow the situation closely, quickly prepare scenarios, situations and solutions to respond to the new wave successfully and ensure faster detection as well as faster and stronger actions for thorough disease elimination in the shortest amount of time.

- For the time being, focus on dealing with the 2 hotspots in Hai Duong and Quang Ninh and preventing the disease from spreading to Hanoi, Hai Phong and other localities before the Lunar New Year, which will contribute to the celebration of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party.

2. For infected localities:

- Chairpersons of provincial People’s Committees shall discuss with the Ministry of Health and decide the high-risk areas that require social distancing, ensure compliance with requirements for COVID-19 prevention, prioritize protecting the people’s health and achieving the “dual targets”, minimize negative impacts on socio-economic activities and people’s daily life, especially during New Year celebration.

- Urgently direct rapid tracing, thorough hotspot identification and elimination, large-scale sample collection and testing and 21-day centralized quarantine in a serious manner.

- Province leaders shall pay special attention to ensuring social security, providing goods, food and biologicals, and ensuring that people celebrate the New Year safely and joyfully; enhance proactivity, innovation and responsibility of local governments in cooperation with regulatory bodies, state-owned enterprises, cooperatives and private business corporations and assurance of goods provision and sale of agro products and goods (including argo product rescue for farmers in quarantined areas).

- Continue to follow the “4 on-sites” motto in COVID-19 prevention and control strictly; enhance proactivity, innovation and responsibility of local governments with assistance from ministries and central authorities, especially the healthcare sector.

3. Chairpersons of People’s Committees of provinces and central-affiliated cities shall continue to direct the following tasks:

a) Raise COVID-19 prevention and control vigilance level.

b) Minimize mass events, especially during New Year celebration; stop some unnecessary mass gatherings; encourage people to limit number of attendees of weddings, funerals, etc.

c) Strictly comply with the “5K” requirements in COVID-19 prevention and control (use of facemasks, disinfection, no mass gathering, keeping safe distance and health declaration); strictly penalize those not wearing facemasks according to regulations.

d) Test those having cough, fever and respiratory tract infection in the community for COVID-19 immediately, especially in central hospitals.

dd) Ensure timely procurement of necessary COVID-19 prevention equipment and materials; local health authorities shall closely monitor the situation and proactively prepare sufficient workforce, equipment, materials, etc. for COVID-19 prevention and control following the “4 on-sites” motto.

4. The Ministry of Health shall:

a) Continue to direct implementation of the Prime Minister’s Directive No. 05/CT-TTg dated January 28, 2021; support infected localities with accelerating tracing; formulate large-scale testing plans, organize and coordinate large-scale testing, support localities with accelerating testing and treating patients whose conditions are beyond local capacity.

b) Activate temporary hospital systems; provide training for healthcare workers, ensure that the healthcare system is ready for all scenarios.

c) Promptly propose plans for COVID-19 vaccine production and procurement funded by state budget in combination with private sources to the Prime Minister.

d) Urgently procure biologicals and materials using state budget in accordance with regulations and without misconduct or corruption.

dd) Maintain hotlines to receive information, give advice and provide information on COVID-19 prevention and control.

5. The Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Health and People’s Committees of provinces and central-affiliated cities shall:

a) Continue to prepare for and organize quarantine properly; prevent infection in centralized quarantine facilities; prioritize quarantine in military facilities. Military Zone 3 and the Ministry of National Defense shall prepare quarantine locations for Hai Duong province.

b) Tighten control over borders, roads and waterways; properly manage entry and exit, promptly and effectively prevent illegal entry to avoid community transmission.

People's Committees of provinces and central-affiliated cities shall inspect all illegal entry in areas under their management; mobilize forces and mass organizations to visit every street and house and inspect every individual to detect illegal entry promptly, and regard those making illegal entry as suspected cases to adopt quarantine measures according to regulations.

6. Emergency procurement of materials and biologicals for COVID-19 prevention and control may be carried out according to Article 26 of the Law on Bidding. Chairpersons of People’s Committees of provinces and central-affiliated cities shall report to Party Executive Committees of their provinces and cities for decision and ensure that procurement is carried out in a timely manner and without misconduct or corruption.

7. The Ministry of Industry and Trade and leaders of provinces and central-affiliated cities shall continue to direct production to ensure that necessary materials, equipment and biologicals are readily available, including facemasks used for COVID-19 prevention and control.

8. The Ministry of Information and Communications, Ministry of Health, Vietnam Television, Voice of Vietnam, Vietnam News Agency, news agencies and provincial People’s Committees shall continue to provide information for the people to keep vigilant, comply with the “5K” requirements of the Ministry of Health; encourage people to declare their health condition voluntarily, install tracing applications, especially Bluezone, and notify local governments of illegal entry, suspected cases or travelers from infected localities; promote electronic payment and online working, etc.

9. The National Steering Committee shall direct news agencies to continue to provide information on COVID-19 prevention and control for the people to take preventive measures proactively and prevent social panic about new developments of the pandemic.

For your reference and compliance./.