Nghe An proposes to increase vaccine allocation rate, prioritizing transportation services

On the afternoon of October 20, under the chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh, the Government Office held an online conference with 63 provinces and cities on the circulation of goods and passengers and production recovery in industrial production areas to ensure safe and flexible adaptation and effective control of the Covid-19 epidemic.

Comrade Bui Dinh Long - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee chaired at Nghe An bridge point. Attending were representatives of the departments: Planning and Investment, Transport, Industry and Trade, Health, Finance, Southeast Economic Zone Management Board, Provincial Police.

Proactively develop safe production and business plans

Implementing tasks and solutions according to Directive 27/CT-TTg dated October 3 of the Prime Minister, a number of localities have established working groups and steering committees for Covid-19 prevention and control; proactively coordinated with relevant ministries, branches and agencies, actively grasped and had timely and effective plans to limit the impact of the epidemic, and at the same time removed difficulties and obstacles in production and business of enterprises.

In addition, many localities have proactively changed the situation to adapt to new changes, issuing documents.restart productiontimely, and at the same time approve factories to operate production and business such as Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Binh Duong.

Delegates attending the conference at Nghe An bridgehead. Photo: Thu Huyen

Up to now, localities with many industrial parks and clusters have completed 100% of the first injection for all workers and laborers, helping to ensure the labor source to maintain production and business activities of enterprises.

Since September 30, the Ministry of Transport has issued 6 temporary guidance decisions on organizing passenger transport activities in 5 areas: road, rail, waterway, maritime, and aviation to ensure safe and flexible adaptation and effective control of the epidemic.

Nghe An's vaccination rate is still low

In Nghe An, in recent times, freight transport activities through and within the province have always been smooth, without congestion. Intra-provincial passenger transport activities have resumed normal operations; Inter-provincial passenger transport activities have been piloted since October 13, 2021 under the direction of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Transport.

Currently, the Department of Transport is implementing Decision No. 1812/QD-BGTVT of the Ministry of Transport, continuing torestore normal transport operationsInterprovincial passengers traveling to provinces and cities in areas with epidemics at level 1 and level 2 and operating at a maximum of 50% frequency for routes to provinces and cities in areas with epidemics at level 3. The province is also piloting the restoration of domestic flights Vinh - Ho Chi Minh City with a frequency of 1 round trip/day.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Bui Dinh Long speaks at Nghe An bridgehead. Photo: Thu Huyen

From October 1 to 20, more than 19,200 citizens returned to their hometowns by motorbike, organized by the Department of Transport in coordination with the Provincial Police and other agencies and functional units at National Highway 1, Vinh City bypass, of which about 11,300 were Nghe An citizens.

In addition, Vietnam Airlines coordinated to operate 4 flights on October 7, 8, 12 and 13, transporting citizens in group 2 (self-funded transportation) from Ho Chi Minh City and southern provinces to Nghe An for centralized quarantine according to regulations, with an average of 220 citizens per flight.

Speaking at the conference, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Bui Dinh Long said: Although the epidemic situation in Nghe An province is now basically under control, the risk of a resurgence is still high. Since October 15, there have been 13 cases of infection in the community; the number of cases of infection from the South is 144.

According to the report of Nghe An Automobile Transport Association, up to now, in the transport sector, the number of people vaccinated with 2 doses of vaccine has only reached 3.2%. For inter-provincial passenger transport, the number of fixed-route inter-provincial passenger transport drivers who have been fully vaccinated with 2 doses of the new vaccine is only 41 people/about 700 inter-provincial drivers, not ensuring enough quantity to restore fixed-route inter-provincial passenger transport routes by car.

Enterprises in Bac Vinh Industrial Park deploy rapid Covid-19 tests for workers to ensure production. Photo: Thu Huyen

Nghe An is a province with a large population, large and complex area, many trails, openings, and a large number of people returning to their localities, so the risk of infection is very high. However, the province's vaccine allocation rate is currently very low. Therefore, it is recommended that the Government and the Ministry of Health continue to pay attention and support increasing the vaccine allocation rate so that the province can focus on prioritizing forces operating in the field of transportation services; businesses, industrial production facilities that employ a lot of workers, especially drivers.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Bui Dinh Long proposed.

After listening to opinions from localities, ministries, branches, and enterprises, in his concluding remarks at the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh acknowledged the efforts of localities, ministries, and branches in controlling and preventing the epidemic, gradually recovering the economy, and stabilizing people's lives.

To continue to support the removal of difficulties, restore production in industrial production areas to ensure safe adaptation, and fulfill the economic growth target of 6.6% this year, localities are speeding up the implementation of Prime Minister's Directive No. 27 and Resolution No. 105/NQ-CP and policies and solutions on epidemic prevention and control, gradually restoring production and business for enterprises in zones and clusters.

Nghe An proposes to prioritize Covid-19 vaccination for those who regularly work loading and unloading goods and drivers and assistants working at bus stations. Photo courtesy of Tien Dong

The Transport sector restores traffic routes, maintains roads, railways, and aviation. Localities urgently dialogue with businesses, develop and announce plans for epidemic prevention, control, economic recovery, and reopening plans. At the same time, together with businesses, proactively research and agree on plans and conditions for organizing safe production and business, adapting to the epidemic developments in the locality, and the actual conditions of the business; minimizing the closure of the entire factory. Localities do not allow large outbreaks to occur...