Nghe An: Building and updating a map for safe coexistence with Covid-19

Faced with the complicated developments of the Covid-19 epidemic, especially in industrial parks, enterprises, commercial service establishments, and traditional markets in recent times, implementing the direction of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Nghe An Department of Industry and Trade has deployed the construction of a Safety Map.Covid-19for localities, businesses, production and commercial establishments in the whole province.

This is considered a useful tool to help agencies, units and businesses grasp information about the epidemic situation in the area, as well as partners in other localities grasp information about the epidemic to connect, cooperate in production and trade, to ensure the implementation of the dual goal of both disease prevention and production and business.

The Covid-19 Safe Living Map is an electronic application developed by the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control, launched in early October 2020, with the aim of controlling the epidemic nationwide, ensuring safe living with the epidemic in public places, such as bus stations, means of transport, markets, restaurants, supermarkets... Units only need to download the app at antoancovid.vn and update information, the application will automatically analyze, calculate and give an assessment of the safety level according to color: Green - new normal; Yellow - risk; Orange - high risk; Red - very high.

As of September 16, 2021, although many localities have returned to the new safe status (green), Nghe An is still a locality in the risk group for Covid-19. Photo: Tien Dong

According to the map of safe coexistence with Covid-19, as of September 16, 2021, Nghe An still has 7 districts, cities and towns at risk of the epidemic. Of which, 12 communes and wards are in the high-risk group (orange) and 14 communes and wards are in the risk group (yellow), with a total of 1,425,078 people affected.

In Nghi Loc district, currently only Nghi Xuan commune is still at risk, the remaining 28 communes and towns have returned to a new normal state.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thi - Head of the Economic - Infrastructure Department of Nghi Loc district said: Currently, the construction of the Covid-19 Safe Living Map in the area has been carried out simultaneously. After the Department of Industry and Trade gave instructions, the department assigned staff to guide units, businesses, market management boards and officials of communes and towns to use passwords and accounts to update daily reports on the Covid-19 Safe Living Map. In particular, the updated information is done at 3 time frames a day, which are 8:00, 13:00 and 20:00.

Summary table of Covid-19 safety implementation progress in Nghe An as of the morning of September 16, 2021. Photo: Tien Dong

In Vinh city, there are 3 wards and communes in the group.high riskis: Hong Son ward, communeNghi Phu, Hung Loc. In addition, the wards of Hung Binh, Le Mao, Vinh Tan, Quang Trung, Cua Nam, Doi Cung, and Le Loi are also in the risk group.

In Hung Nguyen district, Hung Thinh commune is in the high-risk group, out of a total of 18 communes and towns. Currently, the markets in this locality have completed updating the market status on the Covid-19 Safe Living Map.

Although there is only one locality in the high-risk group, many markets in Hung Nguyen district have not yet resumed operations. According to Mr. Hoang Anh Tien - Vice ChairmanPeople's Committee of Hung Nguyen districtLogging in and declaring on the Covid-19 Safe Living Map system is still difficult because some markets in the area are small in scale and cannot fully meet the criteria like supermarkets and shopping malls, leading to a lack of safety on the map.

Trung Market (formerly Hung Thang Commune), now Hung Nghia Commune (Hung Nguyen) is still closed due to the appearance of Covid-19 cases. Currently, only a few households have kiosks in front of the market gate to display their goods for sale. Photo: Tien Dong

As of September 16, 2021, in Nghe An, 1,476 schools, 333 labor establishments, 814 markets, shopping malls, 211 hotels, 63 transportation businesses... have declared information to build the Covid-19 Safety Map.

With the information provided on the Covid-19 Safe Living Map, just by looking at the map, you will know the safety status of localities and units, contributing to monitoring, controlling and directing the implementation of ensuring safety in disease prevention and control in each area and each facility.

Because the safety assessment criteria for traditional markets, supermarkets, and shopping malls are the same, localities face many difficulties in establishing Covid-19 safe zones. Photo: Tien Dong

Some localities said that currently, many markets in the province have not yet opened, not to mention the database of shopping centers, supermarkets, markets, and restaurants in the localities is lacking a lot of information such as email, phone number, and contact name, making it difficult to update status information on the Covid-19 Safe Living Map.

Not to mention, most of the traditional markets, supermarket systems, and commercial centers are mainly concentrated in Vinh City, while the assessment of the safety level of these areas is the same, thus causing certain difficulties when establishing the Covid-19 Safe Living Map.

Mr. Cao Minh Tu - Deputy Director of Nghe An Department of Industry and Trade said: After the Ministry of Industry and Trade instructed localities to update information on declaring safe coexistence with Covid-19, the Department coordinated with districts and towns to deploy instructions on installing the Covid-19 Safety application simultaneously and periodically update the status of production and business establishments, supermarkets and commercial centers in the province.

Although it was difficult to update the situation, indicators, and assessment scales at first, the units were flexible and adjusted quickly, especially updating data accurately and quickly. This has contributed to forming the most detailed and specific map of the epidemic situation.

Mr. Cao Minh Tu - Deputy Director of Nghe An Department of Industry and Trade