In 'boiling water and fire', cadres and party members must be pioneers and exemplary

Types of violations of epidemic prevention and control regulations

Looking back over the past time, we see that the vast majority of cadres, party members and people strictly comply with regulations and actively join hands with the Party and Government to determinevictory over the COVID-19 pandemicHowever, besides that situationViolations of epidemic prevention and control regulations are still quite complicated.

Violations take place in many different ways and forms, from subjective attitudes, negligence, lack of responsibility to not wearing masks, not practicing social distancing; dishonest health declarations; spreading false information; opposing functional forces on patrol, control and on duty at epidemic prevention checkpoints; taking advantage of the epidemic situation to break into people's homes and hospitals to steal property; impersonating police, soldiers, civil defense, militia to appropriate people's property...

Authorities draw up a record to handle violations of Covid-19 prevention regulations in the lake area, Vinh City. Photo: Quang An

Sadly, among those violations, there are many cases of cadres, party members, even key cadres. Typical cases are Mr. Nguyen Van Dung, Director of the Department of Tourism of Binh Dinh province; Mr. Nguyen Cong Thanh, Deputy Director of the Tax Department of Binh Dinh province and a number of people who did not strictly comply with the regulations on social distancing to prevent and control the epidemic according to the Prime Minister's Directive, still gathering to play golf. Similar cases are Mr. Nguyen Khac Lap, Deputy Director in charge of the Department of Health of Vinh Phuc province and Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung, Chairman of the People's Committee of Binh Xuyen district, who were irresponsible in the work of preventing and controlling the COVID-19 epidemic.

Or the case of the Deputy Director of the Cau Ke District Medical Center, Tra Vinh Province, who was suspended from work due to negligence and lack of responsibility in implementing regulations on epidemic prevention and control. Most recently, three officials including: Mr. Phan Si Long, Director of Bao Loc City Medical Center; Mr. Le Minh Tuan, Chairman of the Ward People's Committee and Mr. Nguyen Nhi Doai, Secretary of the Party Committee of Loc Son Ward, Bao Loc City, Lam Dong Province were temporarily suspended from work for review due to violating the regulations of the Prime Minister and the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, leading to the spread of COVID-19 in the community. Many more officials, party members, and civil servants of agencies, units, and localities were disciplined due to lack of responsibility, failure to set an example, and violations of regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control.

Tricks to exploit violations to distort and sabotage

The above violations not only cause outrage in public opinion, negatively affect the work of preventing and fighting the COVID-19 epidemic, but also help hostile and reactionary forces take advantage to...anti-VietnamSome hostile organizations and individuals abroad have viewed these violations as "ammunition" to "shoot" at the policies, guidelines, and solutions to prevent and combat the COVID-19 pandemic of our Party and Government.

From those incidents, they inferred and made arbitrary accusations that "Vietnamese society is unstable", the Vietnamese people are "dissatisfied" and protest against the government's epidemic prevention and control measures. From a number of "blockade" cases of epidemic prevention and control, they distorted that sending the Army to support the Police in controlling people to implement the Prime Minister's Directive on epidemic prevention and control in Ho Chi Minh City "is not simply about epidemiology but about security and national defense", because Vietnam "feared the effect from Cuba when people were too dissatisfied with the State's epidemic prevention and control methods"...

Hostile and reactionary forces take advantage of violations to distort and sabotage. Illustration photo: tuyengiao.vn

In particular, based on false and unverified information shared on cyberspace by people with limited awareness, lack of information, and lack of legal knowledge, some reactionary organizations and hostile individuals have collected, edited, and created false articles and videos, exaggerating the developments of the epidemic situation, distorting the direction and management of the Government and ministries, branches, and functional agencies to cause confusion in public opinion, incite anger, and divide people from local Party committees and authorities. According to information from the authorities, in July 2021 alone, there were over 100 articles fabricated under the guise of the COVID-19 pandemic to sabotage Vietnam. From cases of violations of regulations on epidemic prevention and control handled by the authorities, they accused the Vietnamese government of "violating human rights"; violating the rights to "freedom of speech", "freedom of information", "freedom of the internet"...

Such arguments and tricks are very dangerous. They not only cause confusion among the people and incite division between the people and the Party Committee and the government, but also negatively affect and cause difficulties for the work of preventing and fighting the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam.

Mirrorsample wordsspecific, practical actions

Due to the emergence of new strains of the virus, the work of preventing and fighting the COVID-19 pandemic is forecast to become increasingly difficult and complicated. In addition, hostile and reactionary forces are taking full advantage of the pandemic situation to sabotage our Party and State. In that context, effectively preventing and fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, while fighting to defeat plots and tricks that take advantage of violations in implementing regulations on pandemic prevention and control to distort and sabotage Vietnam, is the political responsibility of the entire Party and the entire people. People are both the center and the subject in preventing and fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and fighting against erroneous and hostile views that use the cover of the pandemic to sabotage Vietnam.

The Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control of Nghe An province inspected Son Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district when Covid-19 cases continuously appeared in this locality. Photo: Thanh Chung

To join hands with the entire Party, the entire people, and the entire army to successfully carry out that political task, more than ever, the contingent of cadres and party members, especially the leading and key cadres at all levels, need to promote their exemplary role. The pioneering and exemplary role cannot be general calls with empty words but must be demonstrated by specific and practical actions in implementing the policies, measures of the Party, the Government and instructions of competent agencies onepidemic prevention and control work

Cadres and party members who hold higher roles and responsibilities must be exemplary. Depending on each position, function and assigned task, cadres and party members must uphold a sense of responsibility, be proactive and flexible in advising, proposing, managing, directing and operating to solve arising problems, and thoroughly implementing measures to prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic. Regardless of difficulties and hardships, cadres and party members need to stay close to the grassroots, both propagating, disseminating and guiding; and encouraging, urging and reminding people to strictly comply with government regulations and recommendations of specialized agencies on disease prevention and control.

Officials and party members working in the press and media need to step up propaganda activities, ensuring timely, honest, complete, objective and close reflection of the actual situation of COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control; not posting negative information that creates subjectivity, negligence, loss of vigilance or causes panic and fear in public opinion. In particular, officials and party members participating in social networks need to be clearly aware of their responsibilities, strictly comply with regulations on what not to do; be alert and clear-headed in receiving and posting information on cyberspace. At the same time, officials and party members participating in social networks must be pioneers in detecting false and toxic information from hostile forces, thereby actively and proactively coordinating to participate in the fight against and refuting, contributing to protecting the guidelines, policies, strategies and solutions to prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic of our Party and Government./.

Doctors and nurses from Nghe An province set out to support southern provinces in the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic. Photo courtesy