Top priority is given to treatment stratification to minimize deaths from Covid-19.

On February 24, the People's Committee of Nghe An province issued a document on the implementation of the Ministry of Health's telegram. Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Bui Dinh Long requested the Department of Health; provincial departments, branches and sectors; Chairmen of People's Committees of districts, cities and towns, based on their functions and tasks, to resolutely implement and strengthen measures to prevent and control the Covid-19 epidemic according to the direction of the Ministry of Health in the telegram No. 235/CD-BYT dated February 21, 2022.

Accordingly, the content of the dispatch requires units and localities to strictly implement the directions of the Prime Minister, the National Steering Committee and the instructions of the Ministry of Health on proactive prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic. People's Committees at all levels strictly implement Resolution No. 128/NQ-CP dated October 11, 2021 of the Government on "Safe and flexible adaptation, effective control of the COVID-19 epidemic" and Decision No. 218/QD-BYT dated January 27, 2022 of the Ministry of Health.

Doctors treat patients with sunburn. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Continue to thoroughly grasp and strictly implement medical measures (monitoring, testing, isolation, treatment, etc.) and administrative measures related to production, business, tourism, school opening, and people's travel to ensure scientific and unified epidemic prevention and control work combined with good implementation of economic and social recovery and development.

The number of cases has continuously set records in Nghe An in recent days. Photo: TH

Comprehensive treatment, treatment stratification, and minimizing deaths are top priorities. Strictly implement the work of triage and route classification; organize admission and effective treatment at all levels. Provide and ensure adequate medicine, testing reagents, consumables, equipment, protective equipment, etc., especially medical oxygen at treatment facilities. Strengthen the organization of isolation, care, and treatment at home; connect, consult, monitor, and advise on remote treatment; promptly transfer to other treatment levels; prevent COVID-19 patients from being unable to contact medical facilities, not being managed, medically monitored, and not being given treatment drugs.

The dispatch also requires continuing to deploy COVID-19 vaccination "more rapidly"; ensuring coverage of supplementary doses, booster doses for subjects aged 18 and over and sufficient basic doses for subjects aged 12-17. Prepare resources to vaccinate children aged 5-11 against COVID-19 as soon as the Ministry of Health has instructions. Organize vaccination at home for subjects with difficulty in traveling.

At the same time, strongly and comprehensively deploy the "Campaign to protect at-risk subjects" with communication measures, consultation on COVID-19 prevention and control; COVID-19 vaccination; screening tests to detect people with COVID-19; care and treatment of people with COVID-19 in risk groups; protection of people in risk groups when people living together or in the same family are infected with COVID-19; support physical and psychosocial care.

Ensure safety in preventing and combating COVID-19 in schools. Based on the assessment of the epidemic level from the locality to the commune level, organize to bring students back to school soon to organize direct teaching and learning; proactively take appropriate measures to handle F0 and F1 cases in schools, avoid extreme handling; ensure safety in preventing and combating the epidemic, create peace of mind and consensus for preschool children to go to school safely.

Strengthen communication work to raise people's vigilance, proactively prevent and fight the epidemic, self-monitor health and strictly implement "5K", wear masks when going out in public, contact with people around, do not gather, do not go to crowded places when not necessary; participate in full COVID-19 vaccination, do not be negligent or subjective in disease prevention and control because of vaccination.

Inform people, agencies, units, schools, factories, etc. to ventilate their homes and workplaces to reduce the risk of infection. If there are unusual signs of health (cough, fever, difficulty breathing, sore throat, loss of taste...), immediately notify the health agency for support, advice, monitoring and timely treatment.

Improve the capacity of the health system, especially the grassroots health sector; have plans to mobilize, transfer, and supplement health workers, and support epidemic prevention and control work in schools. Pay attention to developing and supplementing policies, regimes, and forms of encouragement and rewards for health workers and the network participating in consulting, treating, and caring for people infected with SARS-CoV-2 at preventive health facilities, intensive care centers, and COVID-19 admission and treatment facilities.

Properly implement the regime of information and daily reporting of infectious disease monitoring, investigation, prevention and control results of COVID-19 epidemic to the Ministry of Health (Department of Preventive Medicine, email:[email protected]) according to regulations. Strengthen inspection of epidemic prevention and control work at agencies, units, organizations, enterprises, especially at hospitals, production facilities, markets, supermarkets, train stations, airports, bus stations... Strictly handle violations of COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control.

Since the Lunar New Year, Nghe An has continuously recorded a record number of Covid-19 cases. For many days, an average of nearly 3,000 new infections were detected each day, bringing the total number of F0 cases to nearly 50,000. In addition, severe cases and deaths have also shown signs of increasing in recent days. Currently, the whole province has recorded 90 deaths, with some days recording a record 7 deaths due to COVID-19.