Greater epidemic containment efforts needed due to growing COVID-19 threat

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chairs a cabinet meeting with localities, ministries, and sectors on pandemic prevention and control work (Photo: VGP)

The Government leader suggested that each locality should outline a COVID-19 response scenario that offers recommendations on prevention and control measures for local residents.

The meeting saw the Ministry of Health provide an update on the current situation nationwide. There have been four fresh cases of local transmission, including one case involving a waiter at a pizza restaurant at 106 Tran Thai Tong street, in Cau Giay, Hanoi. In addition, two cases involve US nationals residing in District 8 of Ho Chi Minh City, whilst the other case was recorded in the central highland province of Dak Lak and involves a medical practitioner at Da Nang Hospital.

This comes after Da Nang, now a major COVID-19 hotspot, recorded  27 positive cases, along with two cases being confirmed in Quang Nam and an additional case in Quang Ngai, with the majority of those infected with the COVID-19 being over 40 years old.

During the meeting, leaders from Da Nang requested that the Government and the Ministry of Health provide resources and medical bio-products in order to conduct mass testing.

Indeed, this can be done alongside intensifying support through providing medical equipment, artificial ventilators, and ECMOs for treatment whilst creating favourable conditions for professional assistance, with the possibility of creating a field hospital in the worst-case scenario.

Upon the conclusion of the meeting, PM Phuc emphasised that developments relating to the pandemic are more complicated than before due to there being cases of community transmission for several days without knowing who was the original source of infection.

Amid this difficult situation, ministries, sectors, and localities must properly implement an urgent telegram issued by the Party Central Committee, calls by the General Secretary and the State President, in addition to the direction of the PM and National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, the cabinet leader said.

Furthermore, all localities nationwide can now be considered at high risk, therefore, the whole political system must get involved in the fight against the COVID-19, whilst citizens must stay vigilant in order to take necessary measures, PM Phuc stressed.