Nghe An: Activating the Covid-19 epidemic prevention system at the highest level

The Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control of Nghe An province held an online conference to deploy a number of urgent tasks to prevent and control Covid-19 in the province. Photo: Thanh Chung

On the afternoon of January 29, the Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control of Nghe An province held an online conference to deploy a number of urgent tasks to prevent and control Covid-19 in the province. Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Bui Dinh Long, Deputy Head of the Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control of Nghe An province chaired the conference.

Attending the conference were representatives of the provincial Fatherland Front Committee, the Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control of districts, cities, towns and departments, branches, sectors and medical units in the province.

Health monitoring of 249 cases returning from Quang Ninh and Hai Duong

At the conference, representatives of the Department of Health, Provincial Border Guard, Provincial Military Command, Provincial Police and localities reported on the developments of the epidemic situation.Covid-19domestic and epidemic prevention and control work of Nghe An.

Accordingly: As of 12:00 on January 29, 2021, Vietnam had 1,562 cases of Covid-19. From January 28, 2021 to now, the whole country recorded 98 new cases, of which 7 were imported cases, 91 were community cases, concentrated in 5 provinces and cities, including: Hai Duong, Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Bac Ninh and Hanoi.

In Nghe An, as of 10:00 a.m. on January 29, 2021, the whole province had 249 cases returning fromQuang Ninh and Hai DuongFor these cases, the province has directed instructions on medical declaration, created a 14-day health monitoring list and carried out monitoring according to current regulations.

Regarding cases in close contact with F1 (Huong Son, Ha Tinh), the health sector conducted investigation, monitoring and isolation to collect samples: 9 F2 cases were monitored and samples were taken with negative results; 19 F3 cases were monitored.

The total number of citizens quarantined to prevent and control the epidemic in the province to date is 43,570 people, of which 43,055 people have completed their quarantine period and 515 people are currently quarantined to prevent and control the epidemic. The health sector has deployed 32,156 test samples.Covid-19, there are 32,110 negative samples, 46 samples waiting for results.

Up to now, Nghe An province has not recorded any cases of Covid-19. However, the risk of the epidemic entering Nghe An is very high because the number of Nghe An people currently living, studying and working in the 5 epidemic provinces is very large.

Traffic police discovered 7 people from Nghe An province illegally entering the country on a passenger bus, avoiding quarantine. Photo: Contributor

In addition, the risk of the epidemic also comes from illegal entry and exit activities. According to statistics, Nghe An currently has about 30,000 people living and working in the three provinces of Xieng Khouang, Hua Phan, and Bolikhamxay. Of these, 300 people registered to return this week.

The risk of an epidemic from illegal entry is very high as since the beginning of 2020, the Provincial Border Guard has fought to arrest 101 cases/199 illegal entrants, 6 cases/12 illegal exits. It is forecasted that as Lunar New Year approaches, the number of Nghe An workers in Thailand and Laos seeking to illegally enter the country and avoid the 21-day quarantine will increase.

To prevent and combat the Covid-19 epidemic, all levels, sectors and localities in the province have been strictly implementing the directions of the Government, the National Steering Committee and the directives of the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Committee, and the Provincial Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control. Absolutely do not let negligence and subjectivity appear in the community and at medical facilities.

The Department of Health has just coordinated with Vinh Medical University and related units to organize training for 460 4th and 5th year medical students on Covid-19 prevention and control activities; ready to carry out tasks in case the Covid-19 epidemic spreads widely in Nghe An province.

The provincial Border Guard has set up five more Covid-19 prevention and control posts, bringing the total number of posts to 31; increased troop numbers; and maintained 24/7 patrols to combat illegal entry.

The Provincial Military Command has activated the entire system of 28 quarantine areas, ready to immediately receive 3,000 citizens returning to the country, and can receive over 10,000 people. The Provincial Police strictly manage the quarantine activities of foreign experts and highly skilled workers working in the province; and fight against illegal immigrants.

Activate the epidemic prevention system at the highest level

Speaking at the conference, Comrade Bui Dinh Long - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Deputy Head of the Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control of Nghe An province requested: Departments, branches and localities in the province to reactivate the entire Covid-19 prevention and control system and operate at the highest level.

Comrade Bui Dinh Long clearly directed: localities focus on screening subjects returning from epidemic areas; classify subjects for centralized isolation, sample collection for testing or isolation, and health monitoring at home. Photo: Thanh Chung

Localities must promote the role of self-management teams for Covid-19 prevention and control in villages, hamlets, and communes, with the motto of "going to every alley, knocking on every door, detecting strange objects" to immediately report to local authorities; review and inspect epidemic prevention and control plans in the area, especially in offices, industrial parks, and schools; request households with relatives abroad to encourage their relatives not to illegally enter the country.

Localities need to persistently prevent and fight the epidemic according to the principle of "Preventing, detecting, isolating, zoning, suppressing, and treating Covid-19"; recommending people to strictly follow the "5K" recommendations: Masks - Disinfection - Distance - No gatherings - Medical declaration", especially recommending people to wear masks, disinfect their hands, and limit large gatherings when going out; Depending on the epidemic situation, seriously consider organizing the Spring Festival.

The Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee requested the Provincial Border Guard to coordinate with the police, military and local authorities to do a good job of patrolling, controlling and preventing illegal entry. The Provincial Military Command thoroughly inspected 28 quarantine points and set up the operational apparatus of the quarantine areas to be ready to receive citizens.

Officers and soldiers of Nam Can Border Guard Station patrol and control to prevent illegal entry. Photo: Thanh Cuong

The Department of Education and Training re-examines epidemic prevention and control work at schools and supplements missing epidemic prevention materials.

The Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee directed: The Health Sector continues to closely monitor the situation, promptly advise the Provincial People's Committee on epidemic prevention and control plans; direct hospitals to strengthen patient screening, early testing of suspected cases; testing of patients with pneumonia and cough who are being treated as inpatients. Hospitals must have measures to protect medical staff, prevent infections from occurring in hospitals...

The Department of Health must increase inspections of hospitals; restart SARS-CoV-2 testing units to be ready for large-scale testing; re-check the ventilator system; prepare adequate medicines and treatment regimens... Prepare resources to treat patients according to the on-site principle, detect and treat wherever possible.

The Department of Information and Communications and the province's press and radio agencies should more strongly promote epidemic prevention and control activities; have appropriate forms of propaganda for citizens abroad not to enter illegally; guide people to install the Bluezone application... Relevant sectors should proactively review response plans to fight the epidemic before, during and after Tet.

Members of the Provincial Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control shall, based on their functions and tasks, inspect the implementation of epidemic prevention and control in the localities they are assigned to and in charge of, detect loopholes in epidemic prevention and control to report to the Steering Committee.