Drastic measures undertaken to prevent COVID-19 from entering Vietnam: Minister
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam's healthcare sector has actively and drastically directed the southwestern region
to strengthen measures to prevent COVID-19 amidst the complicated developments of the pandemic in regional countries and the world, said Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long.
In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), the minister held that Vietnam
is facing a high risk of another COVID-19 outbreak from the outside, as within
the past 24 hours, India reported over 340,000 new cases, while Cambodia confirmed
more than 600 cases and Laos also saw the highest-ever rise in the number of infections.
Long stressed the need for Vietnamese people to stay vigilant against the spread of
the virus, while focusing on strictly implementing preventive measures with the
hope of controlling the situation.
Recently, the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control and
the Health Ministry have warned of the risk of another outbreak in the
country, advising people to take measures to prevent the pandemic from entering Vietnam
from the outside, he said.
The minister said that a number scenarios have been built in case the pandemic
occurs in localities, especially in the southwest region.
Meanwhile, five working groups led by the minister and four deputy health ministers
have worked with southwestern provinces to direct pandemic preventive measures, he
said.
Stressing
that the most concerned risk is that new SARS-CoV-2 variants
penetrate into Vietnam from Cambodia without any signs, he said that the
ministry has asked the risky localities to pay special attention to the
situation.
Localities
in the southwestern region and those along the border with Cambodia have been guided
to roll out preventive measures, especially the “5K message”, he said.
However,
Long noted that controlling illegal entry into Vietnam through the sea
border is a great challenge, especially in Kien Giang province where quarantine facilities
in its Ha Tien city is becoming overloaded.
Therefore,
a temporary hospital has been set up in Ha Tien to be ready to treat COVID-19
patients, he said.
Underlining
the responsibility of local leaders in pandemic prevention and control, the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat has directed Party Committees
at all levels to enhance their role in the work, he noted.
Regarding
the health sector's preparations for the upcoming prolonged Liberation
Day (April 30) and May Day (May 1) holidays, Long said that along with advising
people to strictly implementing the 5K message, the ministry is speeding up COVID-19 vaccinations, while keeping a close watch on the implementation of
preventive measures in each locality.
At
the same time, tight control over entry activities has been carried out in
border localities to prevent illegal immigrants, which requires the strong
cooperation of all people, he said./.