PM demands all forces focus on combating COVID-19

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the meeting on July 19 (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh demanded ministries, sectors, and localities reinforce all forces to ramp up the COVID-19 combat while addressing an unscheduled meeting with the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on July 19.

The Government agreed to issue a resolution on the procurement of materials and equipment for the pandemic prevention and control, he said, urging ministries, sectors, and localities to tighten discipline during the COVID-19 fight and call on all people to support the efforts as people are both the centre and the key player in this combat.

The Government leader told the Ministry of Health to ensure the reasonable and swift distribution of COVID-19 vaccine as well as timely vaccination.

Asking for the flow of food and essential goods to be kept uninterrupted, PM Chinh requested the State Bank of Vietnam to push ahead with policies supporting people and enterprises, and ministries, sectors, and localities to guarantee social security.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was tasked with promoting the “vaccine diplomacy” and “technology diplomacy” to help with purchasing supplies for the COVID-19 fight.

The PM demanded the entire grassroots political system engage in the pandemic combat, underlining the need to attract resources via public - private partnership so that people and enterprises can join hands in the task.

At the meeting, Minister of National Defence Phan Van Giang noted his ministry is mobilising forces for transporting vaccines and assisting disease prevention and control efforts in offshore islands and remote areas.

Participants reached high consensus on the necessity to focus resources on the COVID-19 combat in Ho Chi Minh City and other southern localities, which are witnessing complicated developments of the pandemic.

As of 6am on July 19, 53,785 domestic infections and 2,060 imported ones were confirmed in Vietnam. The number of local cases reported since late April, when the fourth wave of COVID-19 infections began, amounted to 52,215./.