Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee: Strictly manage the area, prevent the spread of epidemics from outside

On the morning of July 14, under the chairmanship of Comrade Nguyen Duc Trung - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, the Standing Committee of the Provincial Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control held a meeting to listen to and give opinions on the work of Covid-19 prevention and control in the recent past, and deploy tasks and solutions in the coming time.

Overview of the meeting of the Standing Committee of the Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control. Photo: Pham Bang

THE EPIDEMIC IS CONTROLLED BUT THERE ARE ALWAYS POTENTIAL RISKS

Reporting at the meeting, Associate Professor, Dr. Duong Dinh Chinh - Director of the Department of Health said that from April 27, 2021 to now, the whole country has recorded 31,835cases in the community in 58 provinces and cities. The epidemic is developing very complicatedly in Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Phu Yen, Dong Nai, Dong Thap... the number of infections is continuously recorded and increasing rapidly.

In Nghe An, as of 11:00 a.m. on July 14, 136 cases of Covid-19 infection were recorded in 11/21 districts, cities, and towns; 14 patients have recovered. Yesterday, 2 clusters of cases appeared at Nghe An General Hospital and Luong Minh Commune (Tuong Duong).

Regarding the cluster of cases in Ban Cham Puong, Luong Minh commune, Tuong Duong district, up to this point, the epidemiological factors of the sources of infection in the province have not been determined and the investigation is continuing to clarify the source of infection, possibly from Laos. Yesterday, the district took samples of 119 F1 cases for testing, including 2 suspected cases of Covid-19 infection.

Associate Professor, Dr. Duong Dinh Chinh - Director of the Department of Health reported on the epidemic situation and proposed measures in the coming time. Photo: Pham Bang

Commenting on the epidemic in the coming time, Associate Professor, Dr. Duong Dinh Chinh said that the epidemic has basically been controlled. However, the potential risk of epidemics is always present in the province. In particular, because the epidemic in many provinces and cities is complicated, many Nghe An people returning to their hometowns may bring the disease with them. Many people are still subjective in epidemic prevention and control; when returning from epidemic areas, they do not promptly declare their health status.

In addition, up to now, the province only has about 5,000 community Covid teams, which is only 1/3 of the population. The province's vaccination rate is still low, not enough to create community immunity (1.33% of the population has received 1 dose; 0.65% of the population has received 2 doses).

Chairman of Vinh City People's Committee Tran Ngoc Tu speaks at the meeting. Photo: Pham Bang

The leaders of Vinh City People's Committee emphasized the two key tasks of controlling and managing the number of citizens returning from localities and managing F0 and F1 cases to avoid re-infection and spreading. Vinh City proposed that if by July 18, there are no new cases of infection in the community in the city, it will be allowed to stop applying Directive 15 and switch to applying Directive 19+. At the same time, testing will be conducted on all cases of people returning from provinces and cities.

Tightly control people returning to their locality

Concluding the meeting, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Duc Trung assessed that the implementation of the task of preventing and fighting the Covid-19 epidemic in the past month has achieved positive results. Nghe An is one of the localities with a fairly large number of infections, but so far it has basically controlled and contained them, with not many cases of infection in the community.

When there were infected cases, all levels and sectors mobilized the entire political system and organized well the epidemic prevention and control measures according to the instructions. In particular, the extremely important role of the health sector, the active participation of the police sector, the proactiveness in propaganda work according to the direction of the Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda Department, etc. were commended and highly appreciated.

The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee also emphasized that because of the above positive results, we do not have the right to be subjective or negligent. On the contrary, we must be more active and proactive in preventing and fighting the epidemic because the epidemic situation in the whole country and in the province continues to be complicated.

Comrade Nguyen Duc Trung - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Head of the Provincial Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control concluded the meeting. Photo: Pham Bang

In the coming time, the Head of the Provincial Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control requested that all levels and sectors continue to strengthen epidemic prevention and control measures proactively, promptly, drastically, synchronously and based on the people; not be subjective, negligent, and avoid the mentality of letting go once the control is achieved. Localities must further strengthen the responsibility of members, first of all the Party Committees, authorities and especially the members of the Steering Committee.

The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee emphasized that at this time, the most important task is to strictly manage each locality, control the inside well, and effectively prevent the risk of infection from outside. If this task is not done well, controlling the epidemic will be very difficult. Localities must proactively review, grasp, and fully grasp the number of people returning from other localities, especially from epidemic areas.

In addition, proactively review and grasp information of households with children and relatives living, working and studying in localities, especially localities with epidemics, to prevent epidemics from afar. Thereby, mobilize families with children living, working and studying in localities with epidemics to stay where they are and not move back to their hometowns at this time.

If you are required to return, you must make a complete, accurate, and timely medical declaration to implement epidemic prevention and control measures according to regulations. For those returning from epidemic areas, you must strictly implement quarantine according to regulations. Specifically, those returning from areas under social isolation according to Directive 16 must be quarantined for 21 days.

Medical forces have collected 119 samples of F1 and cases related to 3 new Covid-19 infections in Tuong Duong. Photo: Thanh Cuong

“The heads of the Party committees and authorities at the grassroots level from villages, hamlets, residential areas to districts, towns and cities must take full responsibility for implementing anti-epidemic measures, including responsibility for managing the area. Because the grassroots level is the most important in managing the number of people coming/going. When we do it, people can have their own concerns, but the highest goal is for the safety of the community and for the health of the people. The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee said and emphasized that if any area has cases of infection due to poor control of the area, allowing people to return from other provinces and cities to bring the disease back, causing community infection, the heads of the Party committees and authorities at the grassroots level will be held responsible.

At the same time, we need to promote the role and responsibility of the community Covid Teams, promote the supervision role of the people to become a movement, each person becomes a soldier on the front line of preventing and fighting the Covid-19 epidemic, then we can achieve the goal of preventing and fighting the epidemic. Manage and supervise the checkpoints from the perspective of creating conditions for people and businesses but must control the flow of people and vehicles, thereby preventing the risk of the epidemic spreading into the province. On the border, the Border Guard force continues to strictly control this area, not allowing illegal entry to bring the epidemic in.

STRICTLY HANDLING VIOLATIONS

Regarding the implementation of measures to distance, isolate, and block localities to prevent and control the epidemic, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee said that the province has issued a document on decentralization but requires localities to base on the actual situation of each locality and each locality to have appropriate solutions, not to apply rigidly but to accompany with guidance documents to avoid being too strict or too loose. Once the guidance is completed, it is necessary to inspect, monitor, and strictly handle violations.

Health officials conduct investigations into people's schedules.

Regarding the proposal of Vinh City, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Duc Trung said that the Provincial Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control will consider the actual situation and the development of the epidemic to make appropriate adjustments, thereby achieving the dual goal: both preventing the epidemic and developing the economy - society. However, even if there is relaxation, there are still things that need to be tightened such as controlling people returning to each epidemic area, making medical declarations, wearing masks, and not gathering in large crowds.

In localities, the work of organizing quarantine and taking samples for F0 and F1 must be strictly implemented, paying attention to F0 subjects who have been cured and F1 subjects who have completed their centralized quarantine period. Consider the conditions to gradually organize a pilot quarantine of F1 at home, ensuring that all conditions are met according to regulations.

Continue to promote propaganda work, raise people's awareness and perception, avoid subjectivity, especially propaganda on epidemic prevention measures so that people can fully understand and implement them. At the same time, mobilize people's active participation in epidemic prevention and control work. Continue to strictly handle violations, because there are still some people who lack awareness.

Regarding vaccination work, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee agreed with the plan of the Health sector. However, the Health sector must develop a detailed plan and scenario so that this work is effective and not confusing. The Health sector will take the lead in guiding localities to analyze, forecast, and evaluate the epidemic situation, propose measures, and proactively prevent and control the epidemic in the coming time. In particular, combining epidemic prevention and control with economic development and stabilizing people's lives. Sectors and localities will review and update the situation on the Covid-19 Safety Map system.

Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Duc Trung agreed with the proposal of Tuong Duong district to block off the entire Cham Puong village (Luong Minh commune) according to the 4-on-the-spot principle, high-risk cases will be quarantined at the district center, ensuring effective epidemic prevention and control work, in accordance with the actual situation in the locality./.