The Government Standing Committee held an urgent meeting on Covid-19 prevention and control

View of the Government bridge. Photo: Quang Hieu/VGP

The bridge point in Nghe An was chaired by comrades: Bui Dinh Long - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Duong Dinh Chinh - Director of the Department of Health; Thai Van Thanh - Director of the Department of Education and Training.

The disease spreads rapidly and is dangerous.

At the urgent meeting, Acting Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long quickly reported on the Covid-19 epidemic situation, especially the complicated developments in Da Nang city. Accordingly, as of this morning, Da Nang recorded 27 positive cases of Covid-19, mainly concentrated in hospitals and medical centers in the area. In addition, it is likely that today the health agency will officially announce 4 more cases of Covid-19 infection, including 1 case in Hanoi, 2 cases in Ho Chi Minh City and 1 case in Dak Lak province. Of which, the cases in Ho Chi Minh City and Dak Lak are related to the outbreak in Da Nang, while the source of infection for the case in Hanoi has not been determined.

Regarding the outbreaks in Da Nang city, the Ministry of Health leaders assessed that all medical facilities here are at very high risk of infection. Currently, the city has implemented social distancing according to Directive 16 of the Prime Minister. The Ministry of Health continues to add 3 more testing teams to Da Nang to speed up the testing process, striving for 5,000 - 7,000 samples/day, and at the same time, install mobile labs for testing.

The comrades presiding at the Nghe An bridge point. Photo: Dao Tuan

The Ministry of Health also said that all Covid-19 patients in Da Nang will be transferred to Hue Central Hospital for treatment. For patients in Quang Nam, treatment will be organized at Quang Nam Central General Hospital.

For patients undergoing dialysis at Da Nang Hospital, if they are not infected with Covid-19, they will be transferred to Hoa Vang District Medical Center for dialysis and isolation.

The Acting Minister of Health also proposed that the Prime Minister allow payment of Covid-19 testing costs using health insurance.

Da Nang C Hospital is locked down. Photo: Xuan Son/DNO

Reporting at the meeting, the leader of Da Nang city informed that the city has locked down 3 hospitals. Up to this point, both inside and outside the hospital, there are 8,000 - 9,000 people in the F1 category who must be quarantined.

For Hanoi city, according to information at the meeting, there are about 15,000 - 20,000 people returning from Da Nang. Currently, there are 29 cases showing signs of fever, of which 1 patient has tested positive (51 F1 subjects related to this patient have been identified).

In Ho Chi Minh City, there are 6,719 people returning from Da Nang. There are 10 high-risk cases, of which 8 tested negative and 2 tested positive. Currently, 50% of people returning from Da Nang have been tested.

Scenery of Nghe An bridge. Photo: Dao Tuan

Anti-epidemic without extremism, without losing vigilance

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam suggested that the whole country focus on re-propagating to the entire community about health protection awareness. That is, washing hands with soap and disinfectant solution, regularly wearing masks when going out. In particular, it is necessary to restart the implementation of Directive 19 of the Government. Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam also said that the most worrying thing is the cases where the source of infection cannot be identified, so restarting anti-epidemic measures is extremely necessary. However, comrade Vu Duc Dam also noted that the provinces are not so extreme as to "block rivers, ban markets", block roads but must also raise the spirit of vigilance. The provinces must have synchronous and unified actions to ensure harmony in related issues.

The Deputy Prime Minister also requested the Ministry of Health to draft a document requesting the Prime Minister to purchase equipment for rapid testing of SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Delegates attending the meeting at Nghe An bridge. Photo: Dao Tuan

Raise the spirit before the people, must not let the battle break.

Speaking at the meeting, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc affirmed that this epidemic is different from the previous one, that is, it has spread to the community for many days but the F0 has not been identified. This fact leads to the risk of the epidemic spreading easily to big cities, especially when in just a short time, Covid-19 has infected 27 people.

The Prime Minister emphasized that central and local ministries, branches and localities need to enhance their sense of responsibility to the people, must not let the situation collapse, must not be subjective, if subjective, people will not be able to react in time. Localities must fully propagate on mass media to raise people's vigilance, especially when the epidemic is showing signs of rapid infection and complicated variations, so proactive prevention and control work must be carried out more strongly. The Central Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control, the Ministry of Health and localities must seriously implement the Official Dispatch of the Standing Secretariat, the Appeal of the General Secretary and President, and the Prime Minister's instructions on epidemic prevention and control.

"The local Party Secretaries and Chairmen must take action, the political system must get involved and people must be vigilant in implementing anti-epidemic measures" - Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc emphasized.

Make a suitable appeal to people with cough and fever across the country to participate in testing

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at the meeting. Photo: Quang Hieu/VGP

The Prime Minister welcomed the health sector and Da Nang city for thoroughly implementing social distancing in the spirit of Prime Minister's Directive 16 and many proactive measures to reduce travel levels in epidemic areas.

First of all, the health sector and the finance sector of localities need to ensure the capacity of the health system. The police, the army, and localities must be ready, "wherever you ask, there must be there", especially the means, tools, and related forces.

Step up the tracing of F1 and rapid isolation. Request that military units, especially Military Region 5, organize the fastest isolation for people in Da Nang as possible because there are a large number of people there. Regarding improving testing capacity, request the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of National Defense to increase the means and relevant staff to not only help Da Nang but also other localities in the work of epidemic prevention and control.

Agree on the plan to increase treatment positions at Central hospitals, Military hospitals, and treatment facilities in Hue and Quang Nam to handle and treat seriously ill patients in Da Nang, including patients on dialysis or with other underlying diseases.

In necessary cases, testing should be done more promptly, especially by calling on people with fever and cough nationwide to participate in testing for more proactive prevention. The Prime Minister also agreed with the Ministry of Health's proposal to pay for Covid-19 testing with health insurance.

There is a solution to prevent the epidemic from spreading through the flow of people from Da Nang.

The Head of Government also requested that provinces, depending on specific circumstances, promptly apply Directive 16 or Directive 19 of the Prime Minister, while Da Nang must thoroughly implement Directive 16 throughout the city.

On the night of July 28, the Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control of Nghe An province was present in An Hoa commune (Quynh Luu) to organize zoning, collect samples and quarantine people who had close contact with patient 435. Photo: Thanh Cuong

The Prime Minister noted that rivers should not be blocked or markets banned, but some necessary measures must be taken to prevent infection from the large numbers of people who have traveled to other localities from Da Nang city. Each locality must have a response scenario as the whole country has implemented in the previous phase, including advising people to limit travel...

Request the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security to manage the border well and prosecute and investigate cases of border management violations. In particular, the Ministry of National Defense must strengthen the management of quarantine centers.

Crowded places, especially public transport, need to wash hands with soap, wear masks, and disinfect. Places with epidemics are not allowed to organize large festivals. People with symptoms and those in direct contact with sick people need to be monitored more closely. The Ministry of Health needs to have a specific plan on this issue.

It is recommended that localities and the Ministry of Education and Training have a plan to organize the high school exam safely. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs presides over and coordinates with the Ministry of Transport to recalculate domestic capacity to have a suitable roadmap, especially for Vietnamese people returning home in the current situation. Localities need to manage population, security, and order well, especially ensuring price stability and essential goods, and not allowing chaos in their areas.

“This is an urgent and complicated case, not only in cities like Da Nang, Quang Nam, Hue, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City but also in big cities, especially coastal tourist provinces and cities from Quang Ninh, Hai Phong to Binh Thuan... need to have more proactive measures in thoroughly implementing epidemic prevention and control work, not allowing infection to spread to the community.”

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc