Illustrative image. (Photo: VNA) Risingcases of COVID-19 infections have prompted the municipal People’s Committee onMarch 4 to issue an urgent document on measures to combat the pandemic.
Relevantauthorities across districts and Thu Duc city are required to strictlyimplement Resolution 128 on safe, flexible adaptation and effective control ofthe COVID-19 pandemic.
Sinceit is forecasted that more infection chains will be recorded in HCM City,business establishments and schools should take immediate actions to curb thespread of COVID-19 among their communities.
Vaccinationprogress against COVID-19 has to be accelerated while necessary resources needto be prepared for vaccination for children aged 5 to 11 years old in the nearfuture.
Alldistricts and Thu Duc city authorities should check storage, transport andother facilities as well as human resources needed to ensure safety vaccinationprotocols are followed, Tang Chi Thuong, Director of thecity's Department of Health, said at a press conference late last week.
Thecity has recorded more than 19,000 COVID-19 cases in 306 schools this week, 97percent of them children under 12.
Thuongsaid the positivity rate for COVID-19 in schools was 2.3 percent, and all ofchildren had no or mild symptoms.
Meanwhile,the city has seen a recent surge in daily cases, with 4-5 patients requiringinvasive mechanical ventilation every day. All the serious cases are eitherelderly people or those with comorbidities.
Thuongexpressed concern that the increase in severely ill patients would lead to arise in fatalities over the next two or three weeks.
Hesaid the city has sought the health ministry’s approval to distribute and sell molnupiravir to patients havingprescription from doctors, while waiting for official guidelines onprescribing and distributing the medicine.
DuongAnh Duc, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, has asked alldistricts and Thu Duc city to take strong measures to reduce the number ofCOVID-19 cases, and ensure sufficient supply of medicines and medicalequipment.
Hehas also asked the health department to try to protect people in high-riskgroups, and the education and training department to ensure safe directlearning at schools.
Localitiesneed to improve the health system’s capacity; strengthen inspection of pandemicprevention and control at production facilities, supermarkets, markets, railwaystations and bus stations among other crowded places; and strictly handleviolations of COVID-19 prevention and control.
TheHCM City Department of Health is responsible for comprehensive treatment andsufficient supply of medical equipment and drugs. Minimising the number ofdeaths is the top priority.
TheHCM City’s Department of Information and Communications is required tocoordinate with the Department of Health to raise locals’ awareness on COVID-19prevention and control.
Localsare not advised to gather or go to crowded places when it is not necessary.
Thecity had 222 wards and communes classified as low-risk, 77 asmedium-risk, and 13 as high-risk zones the previous week (February 21-27).
Underthe People’s Committee’s Decision No 3900 issued in November 2021, karaokepalours, discotheques and bars in high-risk zones have to close in high-riskzones.
Religiousactivities, weddings, funerals and cultural activities in the 13 high-riskzones must limit the number of participants, while massage and beautyparlours must restrict their activities to 25 per cent of their capacity./.
:VNA
