'If we trade off the socio-economic situation for social distancing, we must control the situation'

On the morning of August 29, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh - Head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control chaired an online conference of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control with 20 provinces and centrally-run cities, 209 districts, towns and 1,060 communes, wards and towns to strictly implement the Prime Minister's dispatches and a number of key measures in epidemic prevention and control.

Attending the conference at the Government Headquarters were Party Central Committee Secretaries: Mr. Do Van Chien - Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front; Ms. Bui Thi Minh Hoai - Head of the Central Committee for Mass Mobilization; Mr. Nguyen Trong Nghia - Head of the Central Committee for Propaganda and Education; Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Khac Dinh; Deputy Prime Ministers; Leaders of central departments, ministries and branches.

Previously, on August 22 and 23, the Prime Minister issued Official Dispatches No. 1099 and No. 1102 on strengthening social distancing and measures to prevent and control the epidemic. In addition to viewpoints, ideas and solutions to prevent the epidemic, these dispatches have a number of additions and innovations, especially taking communes, wards, towns, factories and enterprises as fortresses and people as soldiers.

Today, after nearly a week of implementation in localities, the National Steering Committee met to discuss and evaluate a number of issues such as: what needs to be adjusted, supplemented, improved, and learned from in leadership, direction, and implementation; in particular, what suggestions and recommendations do leaders at commune and ward levels have for the Central, provincial, and district levels?

The Prime Minister said that this morning he had directed Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung to soon organize online connections down to communes and wards to smoothly communicate instructions from the Government, from the Head of the Steering Committee, the Steering Committee to the communes and wards. The Prime Minister emphasized, "If we use the communes and wards as fortresses, we must be able to direct the fortresses."

Reporting at the meeting, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said that the epidemic situation is still complicated. Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong have a high number of new cases (with about 50% recorded in the community) and an increasing trend due to the increased implementation of large-scale testing. In Long An and Tien Giang, the number of cases in the community has tended to decrease but is still high (accounting for about 30-50%).

In the remaining provinces in the Southern region, the epidemic situation is gradually being controlled; the number of cases detected through community screening (about 7-15%) tends to decrease gradually. Provinces such as Hau Giang, Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, Binh Phuoc, Soc Trang, Ben Tre have a low number of cases in the community, an average of less than 20 cases/day, most of which have clear sources of infection.

In Hanoi and the central provinces of Da Nang, Khanh Hoa, and Phu Yen, the epidemic is still basically under control thanks to drastic implementation of disease control measures and early and timely implementation of social distancing. However, the risk of disease outbreaks is always latent, so new outbreaks may still be recorded.

In Vietnam, the 4th wave of the epidemic started from April 27, 2021. Up to now, the whole country has recorded 419,617 cases, 208,176 people have recovered (50%), 10,370 deaths; 8/62 provinces have gone 14 days without recording new cases, 4 provinces have no secondary infections, 1 province has not recorded any cases (Cao Bang). As of August 28, 2021, the whole country has vaccinated 19,223,460 doses.

The Ministry of Health has mobilized the entire health sector for Ho Chi Minh City and the southern provinces and cities. The medical workforce has mobilized over 16,000 doctors, nurses and medical staff to support the southern region; mobilized a large number of equipment, ventilators, and medical supplies for these localities; established and effectively operated 11 intensive care centers in the southern region, of which Ho Chi Minh City alone has 6 centers with a large number of emergency beds and has had positive results in reducing mortality.

According to Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung, the whole country is currently implementing the 4 million social security bags movement. 23 localities have supported over 100,000 lottery ticket sellers. Regarding the implementation of Resolution 68, more than 15 million people have been supported with 8,400 billion VND, 1.2 million freelance workers with more than 2,100 billion VND spent. Many localities have their own support solutions and policies. However, some localities are still confused and afraid of responsibility, so the support for people with the budget is still slow.

"Some localities have financial difficulties, so when consulting on policies, they just leave it hanging. Some localities are slow to implement, confused and afraid of responsibility. Because this is very difficult, there are no records or documents, so some places are afraid of responsibility. Currently, there are 2 provinces that have not withdrawn state budget funds to spend, such as Ben Tre, Vinh Long, and 9 provinces that have not paid to support people who have suspended labor contracts or stopped working, such as Ba Ria Vung Tau, Tien Giang, Vinh Long, Hau Giang, Soc Trang, An Giang, Kien Giang, Bac Lieu, Phu Yen. 5 provinces that have not supported workers who have stopped working are Tien Giang, Tra Vinh, Can Tho, Da Nang, Phu Yen. 3 provinces that have not received support from the Social Policy Bank are Vung Tau, Ben Tre, Can Tho" - Mr. Dao Ngoc Dung clearly stated.

At the conference, many delegates reported on the epidemic situation in their localities and proposed and recommended difficulties and problems to the Government, the Prime Minister and the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

Leaders of press agencies attended the conference.

The head of the Government believes that we have sacrificed the socio-economic situation in social distancing, strictly implementing the requirement of not leaving home, staying where you are, in return, we must control the situation. The Prime Minister requested that when implementing social distancing to prevent the spread of the disease, it must be rigorous, strict, and effectively and closely monitored. During the period of social distancing, rapid testing must be carried out, vaccination must be carried out scientifically, safely, and effectively, with priority given to certain groups according to the instructions of the Ministry of Health.

The Prime Minister once again emphasized that the best vaccine is the one that is injected earliest. At the same time, when social distancing is in place, it is necessary to promptly admit and actively treat patients to reduce severe cases and deaths; access healthcare early, remotely, from the grassroots level, quickly isolate, actively treat at the grassroots level, avoid overloading upper-level facilities; combine traditional medicine and modern medicine in treating COVID-19 patients.

The Prime Minister emphasized that the motto is to take communes, wards, towns, factories and enterprises as "fortresses", each citizen is a "soldier", a service center, and the subject of epidemic prevention and control. Localities, communes and wards must ensure social security, not let the poor, homeless, destitute and disadvantaged people lack food and clothing, ensure security, order, social safety and people's safety during the period of social distancing.