​Attending were Mr. Nguyen Hoang Thao - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; Mr. Vo Van Minh - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, comrades in the Provincial Party Standing Committee, the Delegation of the Ministry of Health and departments, committees and agencies. The meeting was online to 09 bridge points of the districts, towns and cities.

Drastically implementing measures to prevent and control the pandemic

Reporting at the conference, Mr. Nguyen Hong Chuong - Director of the Department of Health said that despite the drastic implementation of anti-pandemic measures, the number of cases still increased rapidly due to uncontrollable source of infection from Ho Chi Minh City. Many cases were detected in medical facilities through rapid testing, showing that the source of the pandemic appeared much in the community. The characteristic of Binh Duong is that boarding houses are interspersed with factories inside and outside the industrial parks, so when there is a source of pandemic, it will spread very quickly to other factories and boarding houses. Due to the infection in the factory, the number of F1 cases increase many times compared to community transmission. This F1 group, if not handled quickly, will develop into F0 quickly with an increasing number of cases.

Assessing the pandemic situation in Binh Duong, Mr. Duong Chi Nam - Deputy Director of Department of Health Environmental Management, Ministry of Health commented: "The next 12 days are extremely important for the province to implement Directive 16 simultaneously with surrounding provinces and cities (Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai apply Directive 16). This is the "golden time" if Directive 16 is strongly implemented, it will help slow down the chains of infection (especially undetected chains/outbreaks), along with drastic measures to promptly control and avoid the spread of infection on a large scale".

Taking test samples for people in Di An city

Based on the actual situation, the Ministry of Health suggested the province to have more drastic and radical solutions. Specifically, expanding the implementation of Directive 16 seriously throughout the province for 14 days or implementing it in 8/9 districts, towns and cities.

Timely testing will greatly support the work of tracing and localizing the pandemic effectively and quickly. Therefore, the province needs to equip at least 500,000 rapid test kits to serve testing. Conducting large-scale screening in the next 1 week to detect outbreaks, promptly take measures to control the pandemic. At the same time, it must ensure a minimum PCR test capacity to 20,000 single samples per day (equivalent: 100,000-200,000 pooled samples per day). Especially, it is necessary to test and return results quickly for F1 cases in lockdown areas, quarantine areas, high-risk areas.

For medical facilities, to avoid infection and outbreaks at the treatment place, it is necessary to test 100% of medical staff, patients and patients' family members, all people who come to the hospital clinic. Strengthening the implementation of rapid tests for workers and employees per week; testing of pooled samples for households, subjects in contact with many people (supermarket staff, driver, bank staff, post office staff, etc.).

Localities take initiative in response plans

In addition to the solutions of the Provincial Steering Committee and the proposal of the Ministry of Health, at the conference, localities also proposed and presented solutions for pandemic prevention and control based on the actual situation.

Ms. Nguyen Thu Cuc - Chairman of the City People's Committee, said that: "The city has set up 118 checkpoints, 18 quarantine areas, 1,389 Covid-19 Groups with more than 5,000 members in charge of supervising, grasping the grassroots area; strictly sanctioned cases of violations, propagated in many forms; proactively prepared food and foodstuff sources and provided for the people. Quickly tracing, promptly handling F0 cases; quarantining F1, monitoring the lockdown and quarantine areas. In order to avoid the source of infection at hospitals and medical facilities, 14 ward Health Stations have announced their phone numbers so that when there are cases of infection, people actively call to report, and the receiving Health Station appoints staff to take samples from there to limit the source of infection in the community".

For Di An City, the pandemic has attacked important "bases" like enterprises, boarding houses, traditional markets. Through a large extensive test, many F0 have been detected; it is forecasted to continue to increase in the coming time. In response to the situation of increasingly complex movements, the city has been ready to respond plans and sufficient resources for testing; prepared 50,000 rapid test kits for 400,000 people. Preparing quarantine capacity to 10,000 beds. Along with that, there are drastic solutions such as inspecting and mobilizing enterprises inside and outside the industrial parks to accompany the city in pandemic prevention and control, and to implement the 5K, 3-on-the-spot recommendation (eating, staying, and producing at the factory). If any enterprise does not respond according to requirements, it will be resolutely requested to suspend production. Tightening the application of Directive 16 of the Prime Minister; improving grassroots operational capacity.

Particularly, Thuan An city has recorded over 500 cases of F0 and 4,500 F1. Chairman of Thuan An City People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Tam said: "In order to prevent an outbreak, the city is piloting to quarantine 20 F1 cases at home on the basis of considering the eligibility of home quarantine conditions. Improving the capacity of testing and vaccination on a large scale to ensure the right plan, time and right subjects. In addition to the City Medical Center, Thuan An has activated the use of Vietnam - Singapore Vocational College as a treatment hospital; mobilized private medical facilities for preventive services.

Overview of the meeting

In order to contribute to reducing pressure on the Health branch and pandemic prevention and control forces, localities have mobilized community Covid-19 Groups in supervising and tracing cases going to and coming back from pandemic areas, high-risk cases. Mr. Nguyen Van Loc - Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Head of Provincial Party Committee's Commission for Mass Mobilization, Chairman of Provincial Committee of Vietnam Fatherland Front said, the Fatherland Front and mass organizations had actively participated in building community Covid-19 Groups under the motto "going every alley, knocking door-to-door". In order for the pandemic prevention and control at the grassroots to be effective, he said that there should be close and synchronous coordination between branches, including the role of commander-in-chief of the Party Executive Committee.

In addition to preparing all resources for professional activities of tracing, localizing, quelling and treating effectively; propaganda plays an important role in creating consensus and active participation of the people. This is a decisive factor in the current Covid-19 prevention and control. The  Head of Organization Committee of Provincial Party Committee, Truong Thi Bich Hanh, said: "Propaganda will take a new step. The Propaganda Committee is building a special topic for Covid-19 prevention and control; in addition to propagating the situation of pandemic, also propagating the results of pandemic prevention and control, consciousness, responsibility for pandemic prevention and control of people. Focusing on pandemic prevention and control among workers and enterprises, economic development tasks, and social security assurance for the people".

Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Van Loi speaks at the meeting

Speaking to conclude the conference, Mr. Nguyen Van Loi stressed, the upcoming task was very heavy. Under the new condition, the whole political system must unite, take decisive action, take responsibility, and make quick and accurate decisions to effectively implement the "dual goal" of both quelling the pandemic and developing the economy.

For pandemic prevention and control, the Secretary asked the Provincial People's Committee and the Provincial Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control to receive the opinions of the Ministry of Health and concretize the guiding documents. Strengthening the system of community Covid-19 Groups, Covid-19 Safety Groups in enterprises and localities to strictly implement Directive 16; Preparing essential goods to serve the people. Branches must quickly implement support packages for subjects affected by pandemic under the Government's Resolution 68; study additional support packages of the province; organize relief points for disadvantaged people, vagrants, the underprivileged, etc.

Reported by Yen Nhi - Translated by Nguyen Trang