Urgently establish and strengthen community Covid Teams, closely monitor right from the grassroots level

On the morning of June 25, under the chairmanship of Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Duc Trung, the Provincial Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control held an urgent online meeting with the Steering Committees for Covid-19 Prevention and Control of 21 districts, cities and towns to deploy urgent measures in Covid-19 prevention and control.

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

3 MAJOR OUTBREAKS IN THE PROVINCE

From June 13 to now, the province has recorded 51 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection in 10 localities, including 8 cases related to the outbreak at the wholesale market. The cases in Vinh City, Nam Dan, Quy Hop, Nghi Loc have very complicated schedules, while the case in Quy Hop district carries a super-infectious virus strain.

There are currently three major outbreaks in the province. The first outbreak is related to a case working as a hair washer in Ha Huy Tap Ward (Vinh City). The second outbreak is cases returning from Bac Giang. The third outbreak is at the wholesale market in Vinh City, the source of infection is still unknown.

Director of the Department of Health Duong Dinh Chinh quickly reported on the Covid-19 epidemic situation in the province. Photo: Pham Bang

Assessing the complicated development of the epidemic, with many F0 cases missing, Director of the Department of Health Duong Dinh Chinh requested localities to develop epidemic prevention and control scenarios suitable to the actual situation. Each district has 2-3 community Covid Teams, going directly to the grassroots with the view of getting involved quickly, thereby providing timely solutions.

In controlling people in the area, localities must strictly implement the spirit of going to every alley, knocking on every door, checking every subject. Regarding the 4th on-site plan, localities must proactively prepare adequate resources, especially chemicals and equipment; the Department of Health will provide maximum support for human resources. Regarding methods, they must be timely, drastic, calm, scientific, and synchronous.

For the 4 localities with cases related to the wholesale market, in Vinh City, it is necessary to limit people moving in and out of Vinh City; continue to check F1 cases in the area. If there are positive cases in Quy Hop, it is necessary to develop scenarios for worse situations, continue to trace F1 cases.

Blockade of the main gate of Vinh wholesale market, it is known that the patient is a vegetable vendor at this market. Photo: Quang An

Chairman of Vinh City People's Committee Tran Ngoc Tu said that there are 4 markets in the area that are frequented by infected cases: wholesale market, Cua Bac market, Quang Trung market, and Tru market. The city proposed to temporarily suspend the operation of these 4 markets to control the epidemic and continue to proactively collect samples for testing for people in high-risk areas.

The Chairman of Vinh City People's Committee stated that there is a possibility that there are F0s existing in the community that have not been detected. Therefore, in the coming time, the city will trace F1, F2 and possibly F3 subjects, especially traders in the wholesale market area to organize sample collection for testing. In particular, Directive 16 will be implemented more strongly and drastically to control the epidemic.

Chairman of the People's Committee of Quy Hop district, Nguyen Dinh Tung, said that 4 F1s of the patient from Nghia Dan have been traced. Currently, there are 3 suspected cases in the area and they are being tested for confirmation. The district has traced 21 related cases and sent them to centralized quarantine.

Chairman of Nam Dan District People's Committee Nguyen Hong Son said that up to now, there have been 2 F0 cases in the area. Regarding the case in Trung Phuc Cuong commune, 31 F1 cases have been traced. Currently, a part of Phuong Kieu hamlet with 162 households and more than 643 people has been locked down; Do market has been temporarily suspended. Nam Dan district supports testing for people in 5 communes: Trung Phuc Cuong, Nam Anh, Nam Cat, Nam Xuan, Xuan Hoa with more than 43,000 people.

Nghi Loc District Party Secretary Pham Hong Quang said that the case in the area was previously an F2 case, but has now become an F0 case. On June 19, he attended a mass at a parish church with a large number of participants, so four hamlets in Nghi Dien commune were locked down to take samples for testing.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Bui Dinh Long spoke at the meeting. Photo: Pham Bang

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Bui Dinh Long said that the number of F0, F1, F2 in the province is increasing rapidly, in which many F0, F1 cases have not been detected in time. The epidemic has also spread to 10 localities, in many regions, and many different industries.

It is forecasted that in the coming time, Nghe An people from other localities will return in large numbers, so the situation will be complicated. The Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee noted that localities must control people returning from epidemic areas in other provinces, people from one district to another, from one commune to another. At the same time, strengthen propaganda, inspection and handling of cases of violations of epidemic prevention and control regulations.

ESTABLISHING AND PROMOTING THE ROLE OF THE COMMUNITY COVID TEAM

Concluding the meeting, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Duc Trung emphasized that with complicated developments, the Covid-19 epidemic can occur in any locality. Therefore, he requested the Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control of 21 districts, towns and cities to continue to seriously, fully, drastically, synchronously and promptly implement the measures and instructions of the National Steering Committee and the Provincial Steering Committee; apply them appropriately to the actual situation of each locality in the spirit of the direction of the Provincial Party Secretary: Timely - drastic - synchronous - based on the people and on the motto "4 on-site".

"The responsibility for preventing and fighting the Covid-19 epidemic belongs to the entire political system, but the head of the Party Committee must provide comprehensive direction; clearly assign people and tasks, and assign responsibility to each comrade in the Standing Committee of the District Party Committee, Town Party Committee, and City Party Committee. The same must be true at the commune level, following the principle of effective prevention from the outside and strict control from the inside.

Chairman of Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Duc Trung

Going into the measures in epidemic prevention, the Head of the Provincial Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control said that in the investigation and tracing work, in addition to the requirement of speed, it is necessary to trace thoroughly and to the end. The police are in charge of this work but must coordinate synchronously with the health sector and localities in a calm, scientific, methodical and strict spirit.

In particular, at this time, it is necessary to review all cases related to the outbreak at the wholesale market (Vinh City) to make medical declarations, promptly isolate and take samples for testing. When there is a suspected case, it is necessary to proactively organize tracing, zoning and isolation immediately from an early and remote perspective.

Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Duc Trung concluded at the meeting. Photo: Pham Bang

Regarding the organization of centralized quarantine areas, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee shared the difficulties with localities but said that this work must still be carried out seriously, in accordance with regulations, effectively, and closely monitored to avoid cross-infection in quarantine areas.

Regarding the application of distancing, isolation and blockade measures, specialized agencies will advise the Steering Committees at all levels to decide according to their authority, with the viewpoint: Wide zoning but narrow isolation, to ensure epidemic prevention and control but also socio-economic development, should not be rigid, suitable to the actual situation of each locality.

Regarding the role of community supervision, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee said that community Covid Teams will be established on the basis of consolidating self-management teams, establishing community Covid Teams at the commune level, down to each village, hamlet, block, street, and residential area. Community Covid Teams have 5 tasks: propaganda; monitoring; detection; participating in tracing work and other tasks. Especially closely monitoring people returning from epidemic areas and areas.

Urgently taking test samples for people in Hong Son ward, Vinh Tan. Photo: Thanh Chung

Drawing on past experience, comrade Nguyen Duc Trung requested strict management of epidemic prevention and control work in industrial parks, traditional markets, especially spontaneous markets in densely populated areas. In addition to the budget, localities continue to mobilize and use social resources to have funds for epidemic prevention and control; coordinate with the Department of Health to carry out vaccination according to plan.

Continue to strengthen propaganda work in the direction of openness, transparency, timeliness, accuracy and effectiveness. Thereby, continue to raise people's awareness and consciousness, not to let people panic, worry, strictly comply with and accompany the regulations on epidemic prevention and control and support the Party committees and authorities at all levels. The health sector continues to improve sampling capacity, testing capacity, and organize rapid response teams to support localities.

Strictly control people entering/exiting Vinh city. Photo: Archive

The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee also requested Vinh City to continue to seriously, closely, strongly and resolutely implement the province's instructions, especially Directive 16. Strictly control people entering/exiting the city; temporarily suspend the operation of 4 markets: wholesale market, Quang Trung market, Cua Bac market, Tru market. Continue to screen F0, F1, F2 subjects; organize sample collection for testing for people in high-risk areas.

Localities with cases need to be proactive in screening to identify more F1 and F2 cases, organize community testing in some high-risk areas; identify zoning, organize appropriate distancing and isolation, pay attention to control in isolation areas, especially in kindergartens, to avoid the risk of cross-infection./.