Community Covid-19 Team - 'shield' protecting 'green zones'

"Extended arm"

Although she lives in a border area far from the district center, bordering Laos, Ms. Ha Thi Huong in Veu 3 village, Phuc Son commune has long been accustomed to wearing a mask every time she leaves the house. Not only that, Ms. Huong is also aware of limiting going to crowded places, only going out when absolutely necessary.

Ms. Huong shared: "Due to the remote location and difficult terrain, access to information on Covid-19 prevention and control for villagers is also limited. Fortunately, thanks to the members of theCommunity Covid-19 TeamThe village regularly goes to people's homes to propagate and guide them, so people are also aware of proactively preventing and fighting epidemics for themselves and their families.

Mr. Lo Truong Thi in Veu 3 village, Phuc Son commune is an enthusiastic and responsible member of the Covid-19 Community Team of the village. Photo: Thai Hien

This year, only over 25 years old, but Mr. Lo Truong Thi in Veu 3 village, Phuc Son commune is not only an enthusiastic and energetic Head of the Front Work Committee and Secretary of the Youth Union, but also a responsible member of the Covid-19 community team of the village. Regardless of morning, noon, afternoon, evening or when it is hot and sunny, pouring rain, he and the team members still go to each house to propagate and grasp the situation.

Mr. Thi shared: “The village currently has more than 100 households, of which nearly 100% are Thai ethnic people, the households are scattered in many areas, the educational level is still limited. Moreover, the ethnic minorities here have many customs and practices in weddings, funerals, festivals... often gathering large crowds, so the propaganda work on disease prevention and control also faces many difficulties. However, to ensure effective disease prevention, he and the members of the village's Covid-19 Community Team, consisting of 10 members, divided themselves into responsibilities, monitoring each area to directly visit each family in the village to propagate and explain so that people understand, raise awareness of disease prevention and control; do not gather in large crowds, comply with the "5K" recommendations of the Ministry of Health. In addition, they also regularly visit the family's living situation to promptly propose support from the commune when facing difficulties. Thanks to that, the people in the village responded and complied very seriously.

Mr. Lo Truong Thi in Veu 3 village, Phuc Son commune on a trip to propagate epidemic prevention and control. Photo: Thai Hien

Since the beginning of July, the regular work of Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa - Secretary of the Party Cell of Village 7, Phuc Son Commune, Head of the Village's Community Covid-19 Team, has been to visit families with workers working far away in the area, especially in epidemic-hit provinces, to grasp and monitor.

Ms. Hoa said: “The village’s community Covid-19 team has 12 members. In addition to propaganda work, we assign team members to closely monitor and strictly control all citizens entering and leaving the area. When there is information about local people returning from epidemic areas or people coming from other places, team members always promptly grasp the situation, remind them to take measures to prevent and control the epidemic and notify the higher level. Although it is hard work, the team members feel very happy and proud of the work they are doing. More or less, we have contributed to the locality to control the epidemic situation to avoid infection in the community, ensuring the health and safety of the people.

Do not let Covid-19 epidemic enter the area

The Covid-19 Community Teams of Tao Son commune are not afraid of difficulties and hardships in strictly implementing monitoring and propaganda to help people understand the epidemic. Photo: Thai Hien

Mr. Nguyen Cong Binh - Party Secretary, Head of the Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control of Phuc Son Commune said: With the characteristics of a border commune, with 5 ethnic minority villages, a large area, in some villages and hamlets, people do not live in a concentrated area, so access to information on epidemic prevention and control is more or less limited. Therefore, Phuc Son Commune determined to focus all its efforts on preventing and not allowing Covid-19 to enter the area, affecting the health and lives of the people. The commune established 17 community Covid-19 Teams in villages and hamlets, each team has 10-12 members participating. Each team is divided into many community Covid-19 groups according to the scale of inter-family groups, with 2-3 people in charge of about 15-20 households.

Community Covid-19 Teams stay on duty at checkpoints regardless of sunny or rainy days. Photo: Thai Hien

In particular, during the time the district implemented Directive 16 of the Prime Minister, Phuc Son commune established 12 commune control posts on village roads, hamlets, and alleys. At these posts, the Community Covid-19 Teams effectively promoted their role to strictly implement Directive 16. With spirit and responsibility, the Community Covid-19 Teams in Phuc Son commune are truly "extended arms" of the Party Committee and government, contributing significantly to improving the effectiveness of epidemic prevention and control work in the locality, especially in ethnic minority and border areas.

“Going to every alley, knocking on every door” to propagate to local households about epidemic prevention and control measures as well as specifically checking and monitoring each case in the commune going to, returning from or coming to epidemic areas, requiring medical declaration... has been a familiar task for nearly 2 months now of the community Covid-19 Teams in Tao Son commune.

Members of the Community Covid-19 Team are all enthusiastic, responsible, reputable, and active in their work in the village. Photo: Thai Hien

Mr. Nguyen Trong Toan - Party Secretary, Head of the Steering Committee for Epidemic Prevention and Control of Tao Son Commune said: “To actively contribute to the work of epidemic prevention and control, and repelling the epidemic, the commune has established 28 community Covid-19 Teams in 7 villages, with 106 participants. The members of the community Covid-19 Team are all enthusiastic, responsible, prestigious, and active in the work in the village. In particular, when the commune had 3 positive cases (previously quarantined), the members of the team did not hesitate to strictly monitor and propagate so that people could understand the epidemic and implement epidemic prevention measures for themselves and the community. When the commune requisitioned 31 houses as centralized quarantine points of the commune, the members of the community Covid-19 Team, in addition to widely propagating epidemic prevention measures, also quickly grasped and detected cases that needed to be monitored, supervised, and quarantined; supported families in purchasing essential necessities for daily life. Every day, actively and effectively contribute to disease prevention and control in the commune.

Community Covid-19 Teams in Anh Son district are present everywhere to promptly disseminate information on epidemic prevention and control. Photo: Thai Hien

According to the assessment of the Covid-19 Prevention and Control Steering Committee at all levels in the district, the work of preventing and controlling the epidemic in the past time has been carried out by the entire political system, departments, branches and organizations, but it is impossible not to mention the role of the community Covid-19 Teams. Currently, Anh Son district has 530 community Covid-19 Teams, operating in 155 villages, hamlets and residential groups with 2,551 participants. Each village, hamlet and residential group in the area has established at least 1 community Covid-19 Team or more, depending on human resources, area and population density. The teams are assigned the task of being in charge of a number of households and each person, and grasping the movements of each person in the area under their charge.

At the same time, "go to every alley, knock on every door" to propagate, mobilize, and remind people to implement epidemic prevention and control measures according to regulations, following the motto "4 on-site", ensuring "quick detection, compact zoning, timely isolation, rapid tracing, screening testing, active treatment, preventing the disease from spreading widely". With the extremely responsible and tireless activities of the Community Covid-19 Teams, creating a position of people's trust in epidemic prevention, helping local Party committees and authorities at all levels to effectively carry out the tasks of epidemic prevention, control, zoning and suppression.

Community Covid-19 team participates in the checkpoint. Photo: Thai Hien

In the coming time, with the determination to "Fight the epidemic like fighting the enemy", Anh Son district will continue to resolutely implement many synchronous solutions, mobilizing the entire political system, community and people to participate in preventing and fighting the Covid-19 epidemic. Promote the effectiveness of the activities of the community Covid-19 Teams, create consensus and join hands of the people in the work of preventing and fighting the epidemic, determined to protect and maintain the district as a safe "green zone"./.