Minister of Health: Nghe An is at risk of Covid-19 epidemic entering

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long shares his concerns about the Covid-19 epidemic at the present time. Photo: Thanh Cuong

PV: How does the Minister assess the risks of Covid-19 epidemic entering Vietnam?

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Long:In the past 24 hours, looking at the overall picture of Covid-19 globally, especially in countries in the region, we are very worried about the risk of an epidemic.Covid-19infiltrating Vietnam. In India, 340,000 new cases of infection have been detected in the past 24 hours. In Cambodia, over 600 cases of Covid-19 infection have been detected in the past 24 hours. In Laos, the highest number of infections has been detected in the past 24 hours compared to the number of cases detected/day in Vietnam. The risk of Covid-19 entering our country is very high, extremely worrying.

PV: Faced with the risk of community transmission due to illegal entry, what solutions has the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control implemented?

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Long:Recently, the National Steering Committee and the Ministry of Health have continuously warned about the possibility of a fourth wave of the epidemic in Vietnam. The risk of a fourth wave of the epidemic is present. We are worried about the risk of infection from outside into Vietnam, plus the worry that a part of our people have lost their vigilance against Covid-19 infection. For example, many people do not wear masks and do not have the habit of following the 5K recommendations of the Ministry of Health.

In response to the risk of the epidemic, the Prime Minister has continuously issued instructions on epidemic prevention and control; continuously issued warnings to the people. At the same time, the National Steering Committee, the Ministry of Health, functional sectors, and localities have drastically implemented all measures to prevent infections from abroad into Vietnam; at the same time, deploying scenarios in the event of the epidemic spreading and appearing in localities, especially in the Southwest region.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long and the Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control of Nghe An province inspected Nghe An General Friendship Hospital. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Long: From the beginning, Vietnam has determined to prevent and control the Covid-19 epidemic according to the "4 on-site" motto and promote the role and responsibility of leaders. This motto is extremely important, playing a decisive role in preventing, controlling, containing the epidemic and implementing epidemic prevention measures in localities.

Through the first, second and third waves of the pandemic, it has become clear that the role of local leaders and authorities is extremely important. The quick and decisive actions have helped control the local epidemic situation and limit community transmission. In the coming time, we will continue to thoroughly implement the direction of the Secretariat in strengthening the role and responsibility of local leaders in preventing and fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.

Reporter: Currently, the Ministry of Health is surveying and implementing the establishment of a field hospital in Ha Tien city, Kien Giang province. What is the goal of establishing this field hospital?

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Long:We consider the Southwest region to be a key area for epidemic prevention at present because the Covid-19 epidemic in Cambodia has the potential to penetrate Vietnam. We are doing a very good job of controlling the land border, but controlling the sea border is a challenge for the provinces in this region. Therefore, the Ministry of Health has raised the issue of establishing a field hospital in the Southwest region to proactively and actively respond to possible bad scenarios. Currently, traffic in this area has many difficulties. Right in Ha Tien, a number of Covid-19 cases are being treated. Therefore, the decision to establish a field hospital in this area to be able to control and treat patients in the situation of a strong epidemic spreading in this area is absolutely necessary.

Checking the implementation of Covid-19 vaccination for medical staff at the hospital. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Long:The Ministry of Health is very worried about the risk of an epidemic in the southwestern border area. Therefore, the Ministry has established 5 working groups with the participation of the Minister and Deputy Minister to review all Covid-19 prevention scenarios of each locality in the region. One concern is the risk that the Indian double variant and the British variant in Cambodia can enter our country without us knowing. If that happens, the risk of community transmission is very high. Therefore, we are very determined to direct this area to control and monitor the epidemic situation when it occurs, so as not to panic, be confused or subjective, or neglect epidemic prevention.

The Ministry of Health has also prepared scenarios in which there are cases of community transmission in this area, cases of community transmission that we do not know about, and strong community transmission. These scenarios have been carefully reviewed and re-evaluated, and the Ministry of Health has issued reminders and recommendations to localities in the region. The National Steering Committee has recently held a meeting with all provinces in the Southwest region bordering Cambodia to strengthen epidemic prevention measures.

PV: What new factors in the pandemic situation in the world make us worried?

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Long:There are many factors that lead the Ministry of Health to assess that the epidemic situation in the world will continue to develop complicatedly. First, it is the subjective factor, negligence, lack of vigilance, and lack of attention to implementing epidemic prevention measures of many countries in the world. Second, it is the change and mutation of the current virus. For example, India has a double mutation that both increases the ability to infect and increases the severity of infections, all ages can be infected from young people to the elderly. Third, although countries have implementedvaccineBut the current vaccine solution is not the decisive solution, it is necessary to deploy all epidemic prevention measures.

Looking at the Covid-19 infection situation in the world, it can be seen that all subsequent outbreaks are larger, stronger, and more devastating than the previous one. For Vietnam, the Ministry of Health also determined that there would be a similar situation, requiring extreme vigilance, extreme focus, activeness, and proactive implementation of all epidemic prevention measures. Therefore, the Prime Minister, the National Steering Committee, and the Ministry of Health have issued and regularly requested the good implementation of the "5K+ vaccine" recommendation to control the epidemic situation well.

Visiting hospital medical staff who have just been vaccinated against Covid-19. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Long:In recent times, Vietnam's successful lesson in preventing the Covid-19 epidemic is the proactive and active participation of the people. However, after only nearly 30 days, Vietnam has had no community infections, but now we see many people going out without wearing masks and not implementing the measures recommended by the Ministry of Health. Negligence, subjectivity, and lack of vigilance have appeared.

We recommend that all people thoroughly follow the 5K recommendations of the Ministry of Health, especially wearing masks and disinfecting hands - a decisive factor in reducing the risk of Covid-19 infection when infection occurs in the community. Currently, Vietnam is implementing Covid-19 vaccination, we recommend that those who are eligible for vaccination need to properly implement Covid-19 vaccination. Each person, each agency, and unit must not be subjective, negligent, or lose vigilance against the epidemic; must properly implement all measures to prevent and control Covid-19 according to the instructions of the Ministry of Health.

Reporter: Does the Minister have any instructions for Nghe An province in the work of preventing and fighting the Covid-19 epidemic locally?

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Long:Regarding Nghe An, the Ministry of Health highly appreciates the efforts of all people in epidemic prevention and control; the direction and implementation of epidemic prevention solutions by the Provincial Party Committee - People's Council - Provincial People's Committee in the past time. However, we still assess Nghe An as a locality at risk of Covid-19 epidemic entering. Because Nghe An has a very long border with Laos. At this time, Laos is experiencing Covid-19 infection in the community. Illegal border crossing and entry in the Nghe An border area is still a matter of concern.

Recently, Nghe An has continuously reviewed all situations and scenarios for epidemic prevention, but the Ministry of Health still recommends that the province must always be vigilant against the risk of an epidemic entering the locality. The risk of an epidemic occurring in Nghe An is very high, especially during the holidays and Tet. The Ministry of Health recommends that Nghe An people, agencies and units must properly implement the 5K message; must prepare well for situations and scenarios for Covid-19 infection. All medical facilities must determine that they can detect cases of infection in their area to screen, review and have scenarios for the situation of an epidemic spreading in the community and within their own units.

Thank you, Minister!