Strictly handle officials involved in violating epidemic prevention regulations

Subjectivity and negligence in management and control

To effectively prevent the epidemic, there must be consensus and strict compliance with regulations from all classes of people, without exception. In localities, if citizens violate epidemic prevention regulations, the management and administration staff there must also be held responsible, even suspended from work. For example, the incident that just happened in Dien Hong commune, Dien Chau district.

On September 3, Dien Hong commune, Dien Chau district discovered 3 F0 cases in the community in Ai Quoc hamlet. Epidemiological investigation showed that the spread of the epidemic in the community originated from the loose management of people entering and leaving the area, which was not thorough and drastic. Specifically, the 3 F0 cases in the community in Dien Hong were all in Ai Quoc hamlet, and all had epidemiological links to patient NXTr, a citizen in the same hamlet who was previously infected with Covid-19.

The working group reminded and provided additional guidance on ensuring safety and preventing the Covid-19 epidemic at the Dien Hong Kindergarten Quarantine Area. Photo: Thanh Chung

On August 22, NXTr drove a truck from Dong Nai to Dien Hong, got out of the truck, passed the checkpoint and fled home without declaring his health. At this time, Dien Chau district was implementing social distancing according to Directive 16, but NXTr still regularly invited some friends home to drink beer and alcohol. After that, NXTr drove to Dong Nai and tested positive.positive for SARS-CoV-2on September 2. After receiving information that NXTr tested positive, his family went for testing and discovered that 3 more people in Ai Quoc hamlet were also infected.

It is worth mentioning that the lax management of people entering and leaving the area has allowed NXTr from the area with a strong outbreak to bypass the checkpoint to return home and avoid quarantine when returning to the locality. Not stopping there, this person also organized a gathering to eat and drink when returning home without any force reminding him. And the consequence is that the disease spreads in the community.

In Anh Son district, on August 4, when the Chairman of the People's Committee of Anh Son district inspected a number of facilities on the implementation of epidemic prevention work, violations were discovered at a quarantine point inLong Son commune. There, although it is a medical quarantine area for people at risk of Covid-19 infection, there is no one on duty to monitor. In the quarantine area, citizens in quarantine are free to move around, contact each other and do not wear masks. Notably, citizens in quarantine also contact with family members at the quarantine gate without wearing masks.

Anh Son district leaders inspect the implementation of the directive at local markets. Photo: Thai Hien

Not only commune officials, but also local commune leaders are subjective and lax in managing quarantined people; even intentionally violating, as in the case of the Chairman of the People's Committee of Quynh Lam commune, district.Quynh LuuSpecifically, on July 27, according to the tracing of the previous Covid-19 infected person, in Quynh Lam commune, there was 1 F1 case identified as Mr. HTC, a bus driver.

Mr. HTC had gone to take care of his wife giving birth at Minh An General Hospital and had contact with a Covid-19 patient. After tracing, Mr. HTC 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. A day later, on the afternoon of July 28, Mr. HTC's test sample came back positive for Covid-19.

Strictly handle violations, assign responsibility to leaders

The fact that Mr. HTC is an F1 but was allowed to go home by the Chairman of the People's Committee of Quynh Lam commune, and then tested positive for Covid-19, has caused the risk of spreading the disease to the community. Therefore, the actions of the Chairman of the People's Committee of Quynh Lam commune need to be strictly handled. Therefore, on July 27, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Quynh Luu district signed a decision to temporarily suspend Mr. Ho Ngoc Truong - Chairman of the People's Committee of Quynh Lam commune.

Since July 2021, not only has the Chairman of the People's Committee of Quynh Lam commune been disciplined and suspended from work for violating or being involved in violations of local epidemic prevention regulations, but violations have also been discovered inDien Hong commune(Dien Chau), Long Son commune (Anh Son), the leaders and heads must take responsibility and be disciplined. Specifically, due to the subjectivity and laxity in monitoring and implementing epidemic prevention measures in the above Long Son commune, the leaders of Anh Son district People's Committee decided to temporarily suspend Mr. Nguyen Tran Chuong - Chairman of Long Son commune People's Committee for 15 days due to lack of responsibility in directing the prevention of Covid-19 epidemic.

Regarding the case of a long-distance driver "passing the checkpoint" to escape home and organize meals at home, causing the spread of the epidemic, at the meeting on September 3, the leaders of the Provincial People's Committee proposed that the Standing Committee of the Dien Chau District Party Committee temporarily suspend the Party Secretary and Chairman of the People's Committee of Dien Hong Commune from work for 14 days to review their roles and responsibilities; request the Dien Chau District Police to consolidate the case file, conduct an investigation and prosecute the case, prosecute the accused in the fastest time and temporarily suspend the work of the Chief of Police of Dien Hong Commune.

Local people and authorities in Anh Son clean up and prepare quarantine areas for citizens returning from the South. Photo: Contributor

In Yen Thanh district, from August 19 to 30, the police force discovered 367 cases of violations of Covid-19 epidemic prevention regulations. Common violations include: Going out without really necessary reasons, not wearing masks when leaving the house, not declaring health... Notably, among the 292 cases handled, there were 3 cases in Xuan Thanh commune who organized drinking gatherings at home during the social isolation period, discovered by the police force, the District People's Committee issued a decision to fine 45 million VND (15 million VND per person).

Strictly implementing the regulations without exception, out of 367 detected cases, the commune authorities and the district People's Committee have decided to administratively fine 292 cases with a total amount of 522.5 million VND, the remaining 75 cases are being consolidated for processing.

Regarding cadres, on August 13, the Provincial Steering Committee for Epidemic Prevention and Control met with the leaders of Yen Thanh district, requesting the Yen Thanh District Party Committee to strictly discipline the head of the Party Committee and the government of Nhan Thanh commune for being lax in leadership and direction of home quarantine management in particular, and epidemic prevention and control in general, allowing F0 to leave the medical quarantine area.

Similarly, in Hoang Mai town, on August 11, 2021, the Secretary, Chairman and Chief of Police of Quynh Thien ward (Hoang Mai town) were suspended from work for 14 days due to violations related to a Covid-19 infection case in Thinh My block, Quynh Thien ward. That is patient VLQ. On August 4, VLQ drove a 7-seat car from Hoang Mai to Dong Nai province to pick up 3 people to Nghe An, including 2 people in Anh Son district, 1 person in Con Cuong district. After that, VQL returned home, had contact with his wife and children and went to many places in Hoang Mai town. Then, he drove passengers to Vinh city, on the way he had contact with many places. On August 11, the test result of patient VLQ was positive for SARS-CoV-2 virus...

Hoang Mai City Party Secretary reports on Covid-19 prevention and control work in the area. Photo: Thanh Chung

Previously, when going to Quang Khoi Hospital for a quick test, VLQ did not declare that he had come from the South. As a result, in addition to VLQ, the person traveling on the same bus from Con Cuong also tested positive, and an employee of Quang Khoi Hospital was also infected, and then from this employee, many people in the locality were infected. The leaders of the Provincial People's Committee requested Hoang Mai town to quickly isolate the epidemic area, temporarily close Quang Khoi General Hospital; at the same time, temporarily suspend the work of key leaders of the ward, responsible for violations of Covid-19 epidemic prevention and control regulations by citizens in the area.

The strictness is also evident in the handling of violations by citizens in Do Luong. At the end of August, Do Luong district had many cases of community infection. After tracing 4 sources of infection, it was found that one of them was a couple in Yen Son commune who regularly went to Vinh wholesale market to buy goods, but did not declare their health. Then on August 19, these two people went to Do Luong town to go to the Commercial market, stopped by a series of stalls, causing the disease to spread to a number of other people.

Comrade Ho Le Ngoc requested Do Luong district to focus its forces on investigating and thoroughly tracing people related to and in contact with the 4 infected cases. Photo: Thanh Chung

On August 26, the leader of Do Luong District Party Committee said that the district had disciplined two leaders of Yen Son commune for lack of responsibility in managing quarantined people. Accordingly, Mr. Hoang Van Kien - Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, Head of the Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control of Yen Son commune was disciplined with a warning; Ms. Thai Thi Son - Secretary of the Commune Party Committee was disciplined with a reprimand.

The resolute actions and suspension of work of a number of commune officials in the past time is one of the actions demonstrating the determination and strictness of the provincial leaders in disease prevention, in accordance with the requirements stated in Official Dispatch No. 366/CV-TU dated May 10 of the Provincial Party Standing Committee on "Focusing on directing disease prevention".Covid-19"To the Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control, Provincial Party Committees, Party Executive Committees, Party Delegations; Districts, Cities, Towns; and affiliated Party Committees.

Official dispatch 366/CV-TU dated May 10 clearly stated: RequestleaderParty committees, authorities, agencies and units from the province to the grassroots level direct the dissemination and serious implementation of the instructions in Notice No. 237 - TB/TU dated April 29, 2021 and Notice No. 247 - TB/TU dated May 8 of the Provincial Party Standing Committee. In particular, direct functional agencies, grassroots authorities, and police forces to coordinate with the health sector to promptly and accurately trace suspected cases of Covid-19 infection.

Direct close supervision in the community of people returning from other provinces, especially those returning from epidemic areas according to the announcement of the Ministry of Health, maximizing the role and effectiveness of supervision and reporting from the people. Strictly implement regulations on organizing centralized quarantine, home quarantine, and places of residence. Strengthen the work of ensuring security and order, promptly handle violations of regulations in centralized quarantine areas and home quarantine according to regulations.

Wherever the Covid-19 epidemic is complicated, the heads of Party committees and authorities must take responsibility and be subject to punishment according to regulations.