PM orders driving back pandemic in key areas

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the event (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has highlighted the ultimate goal of protecting people’s health, driving back COVID-19 pandemic, especially in key areas, to ensure socio-economic development and social welfare.

During a nationwide teleconference in Hanoi on May 29, the PM said the pandemic is under control, but remains complicated in Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with more dangerous variants spreading in industrial parks and religious establishments.

He asked sectors and departments to seriously follow prevention and control measures in the principle of “5K vaccine technology”, take more drastic actions, stay more determined, tighten discipline, closely control illegal entries and exits, and raise public awareness of the effort.

The leader wished that Party committees and authorities will uphold their creativity to fulfill assigned tasks in the current situation.

Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long reported that since the fourth wave of the pandemic began on April 27 to 6 am on May 29, the country recorded 3,805 infection cases, including 3,594 local transmissions and 12 deaths. 182 were given all-clear from the virus.

So far, eight localities have gone through 14 days without new infections while the remaining 25 cities and provinces recorded 3,578 cases from April 27. Five cities and provinces logged high number of cases, including Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Hanoi, Da Nang and Vinh Phuc.

To achieve herd immunity this year, Vietnam has to date signed agreements to buy over 100 million vaccine doses to vaccinate 70 percent of the population aged over 18, and strived to purchase additional 40 million doses, with priority given to Bac Giang and Bac Ninh./.