Nghe An: Strictly handle violations of regulations on Covid-19 prevention and control

Many violations were handled

Nghe An is a large province with a long border, a large population, and many workers from other localities, so the risk of an outbreak is high. Therefore, the province has determined that it must not be subjective or negligent, but must step up measures to prevent and control the epidemic. In particular, strictly handle groups and individuals who do not comply with the order of blockade, social distancing, isolation, testing, and the 5K recommendations of the Ministry of Health; have acts of obstructing and opposing the government and people in preventing and fighting the epidemic, making false and dishonest declarations, causing the epidemic to spread in the community, etc.

In Quynh Luu district, after the first cases of Covid-19 infection were detected at Minh An General Hospital, it spread to many areas. To prevent the epidemic, Quynh Luu district has established 269 disease control posts, increased inspection, detection and handling of many cases.violating regulations on epidemic prevention and controlCovid-19.

269 ​​checkpoints have been set up by Quynh Luu district to control the Covid-19 epidemic. Photo: Viet Hung

A typical case is Tran Thi Nghia (born in 1982, in village 6, Quynh Giang commune) who was administratively fined 7.5 million VND for not reporting in time. Specifically: After discovering that patient HTY residing in village 6 (Quynh Giang commune) had Covid-19, the commune's tracing team coordinated to investigate and trace related F1s. Tran Thi Nghia, although knowing that she had been in contact with the patient, did not make an honest medical declaration.

Two days later (afternoon of July 29), this case had symptoms of cough, fever, and difficulty breathing, so he went to the Commune Health Station to make a medical declaration and was taken to a centralized quarantine area and had samples taken for testing that same night.

F1 Tran Thi Nghia was fined by authorities for not declaring her health status in time. Photo: Viet Hung

In just the first two days of implementing social distancing according to Directive 16 of the Government, the functional forces of Quynh Luu district discovered and handled 68 cases of violating Directive 16, imposing fines of nearly 100 million VND.

Not only the people but also the officials and civil servants, especially the leaders who violate the law, are also strictly punished without any leniency. For example, Mr. Ho Ngoc Truong - Chairman of the People's Committee of Quynh Lam commune was suspended from work for 14 days for lack of responsibility in disease prevention and control.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Thuong - Vice Chairman of Quynh Luu District People's Committee, on July 27, Quynh Lam commune recorded an F1 case, Mr. HTC (43 years old, bus driver). Before that, he went to take care of his wife giving birth at Minh An General Hospital and had contact with a Covid-19 patient. After tracing, Mr. C. was quarantined at Quynh Lam Primary School. However, the Chairman of the Commune People's Committee later allowed him to go home because his wife had just given birth. One day later, on the afternoon of July 28, this F1's test sample tested positive for Covid-19.

Quynh Luu district authorities administratively sanctioned violations of Directive 16. Photo courtesy of Viet Hung

Similarly, on August 6, Mr. Hoang Quyen - Chairman of the People's Committee of Anh Son district signed Decision No. 3997/QD-UBND on temporarily suspending Mr. Nguyen Tran Chuong - Chairman of the People's Committee of Long Son commune from work for 15 days for the reason: Not seriously implementing the direction of Covid-19 epidemic prevention and control in Long Son commune. Not seriously reviewing the contents as required by Official Dispatch No. 1393/CV-BCĐ dated August 4, 2021 of the Steering Committee for Covid-19 epidemic prevention and control of Anh Son district.

In Vinh city, although it has switched to implementing Directive 19, the work of checking compliance with epidemic prevention and control regulations has not been neglected. The city government has directed functional forces, ward and commune units to regularly inspect, review and strictly handle violations, especially cases of citizens returning from epidemic areas but not making medical declarations.

Citizen N.D.T, residing in block 10, Truong Thi ward, was fined for violating epidemic prevention regulations. Photo courtesy of Quang An

Typically, on August 5, Truong Thi ward coordinated with Vinh City Police to issue a fine to citizen N.D.T, residing in block 10, Truong Thi ward, for returning from the epidemic area (Hanoi) since August 2 but did not declare his health status, and when discovered, he made a dishonest and evasive declaration. The authorities issued a fine according to Point b, Clause 1, Article 11, Decree 117 for the act of "Evading the application of medical isolation measures by competent State agencies". The fine is from 5 to 10 million VND.

Then, on August 6, this locality continued to issue a fine to a TBĐ citizen residing in block 6 for violating regulations on epidemic prevention and control. This citizen went to Ho Chi Minh City to work, and on July 29, 2021, returned to Vinh City, but did not declare his health but went to work in an urban area in Nghi Phu commune.

Vinh City authorities fined and quarantined citizens who evaded health declaration. Photo: KL

Faced with the extremely complicated developments of the Covid-19 epidemic, on the evening of August 7, the Vinh City People's Committee issued Official Dispatch No. 5211/UBND-KT on strengthening measures to prevent and control the Covid-19 epidemic in the area. Accordingly, it requires: Temporarily suspending all activities (sports, eating and drinking...) at the regulating lake and the road along Lam River; temporarily suspending the operation of football fields. Strictly prohibiting the operation of sidewalk restaurants/food outlets (including beer shops, draft beer shops, drinking establishments, coffee shops, soft drinks...) from August 8.

Authorities of Hung Dung ward, Hung Loc commune, Hung Hoa (Vinh city) patrolled the lake on the afternoon of August 8. Photo: Quang An

The City People's Committee also requested wards, communes and functional forces to strengthen inspection and handling of violations (especially focusing on handling violations outside of working hours). During the handling process, make records and record violations; if there are repeat violations, request to temporarily close the business and strictly handle according to current regulations.

"Fighting the epidemic is like fighting against the enemy"

In the working program of the Provincial Party Standing Committee on August 6 on the issuance of the Directive to strengthen leadership and direction on Covid-19 epidemic prevention and control in the province in the new situation, Provincial Party Secretary Thai Thanh Quy affirmed: Nghe An is facing 4 risks, including: Risk of subjectivity and negligence among cadres, party members, and the people; risk of losing control of the source of infection from migrants from epidemic areas; risk of the epidemic situation getting worse, exceeding the province's capacity for treatment and quarantine; risk of social security crisis, employment, security and order, and communication during and after the epidemic.

That requires the participation of the entire political system in epidemic prevention.

Overview of the working session of the Provincial Party Standing Committee to give opinions on the issuance of a Directive to strengthen leadership and direction in the work of preventing and controlling the Covid-19 epidemic in the province in the new situation. Photo: Thanh Duy

In fact, recently, the number of Nghe An citizens returning from epidemic areas is high (the number of citizens from other provinces nationwide returning in the past 14 days (as of August 9, 2021 is 15,207. The whole province has 22,389 quarantined cases, of which 1,321 are quarantined at the provincial level; 10,595 are quarantined at home, 10,197 are quarantined at the district level, 276 are quarantined at the hospital).

In particular, in recent days, the province has continuously recorded many cases of citizens returning from epidemic areas. It is worth noting that some cases of citizens returning from epidemic areas lack awareness, do not declare or declare dishonestly, making the risk of spreading the disease in the community very high. For example, the case of F0 returning from Dong Nai, avoiding declaration, taking 2 inter-provincial passenger buses from Nghi Loc to Nghia Dan, then from Nghia Dan to Que Phong, causing many F1 and F2 cases.

Taking samples for testing for repatriated citizens. Photo: Quang An

Or the case of a group of 3 workers residing in Cat Van commune (Thanh Chuong) who traveled by motorbike from the southern provinces to Nghe An on the morning of August 3, but instead of going straight to the health station to declare, these 3 people stopped in Do Luong town to rest and eat. At 4:00 p.m. the same day, all 3 people went to the commune health station to declare and were taken to centralized quarantine at an elementary school. However, all 3 did not declare that they had visited a motel or eaten in Do Luong town. By the morning of August 7, 2 of the 3 workers mentioned above, D.D.T. (29 years old), and PTTH (33 years old), were announced to have Covid-19, forcing Do Luong district to urgently spray disinfectant chemicals and urgently search for people who had been to a number of locations related to these cases.

In addition, there are some cases of evading home quarantine, or escaping from epidemic areas to non-epidemic areas without permission from competent authorities. There are even cases of deliberately crossing epidemic prevention and control checkpoints.

Nghia Dan District Police made a record of the violation against the NDT driver: Photo: CAND

A typical case is that of truck driver NDT (residing in Quynh Thien ward, Hoang Mai town), who on August 3 did not comply with the signal to stop and declare his health and intentionally passed the Covid-19 epidemic prevention and control checkpoint at km 30+400 of National Highway 48D, in Nghia Hoi commune, Nghia Dan district. The working group at this checkpoint had to use specialized motorbikes to chase and ask driver T. to drive the vehicle back to the checkpoint to work and declare his health according to regulations.

The above reality is posing an urgent requirement for the work of epidemic prevention and control in the coming time to have a stronger, more comprehensive and synchronous transformation.

Authorities draw up a record of violations in the lake area, Vinh City. Photo: Quang An

With the spirit of "fighting the epidemic like fighting the enemy", recently, on August 7, 2021, the Standing Committee of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee issued Directive No. 07-CT/TU on strengthening leadership and direction in preventing and controlling the Covid-19 epidemic in the province in the new situation.

It clearly states: Resolutely and strictly handle organizations and individuals who violate regulations on epidemic prevention and control or take advantage of the epidemic situation to distort, incite, sabotage, and affect national security and social order and safety. Strengthen inspection and supervision work, promptly commend and reward collectives and individuals who do well; strictly handle collectives and individuals who are irresponsible in performing their duties and tasks, and violate regulations on epidemic prevention and control.