Specific goals in COVID-19 fight needed to avoid crisis: PM

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (Photo: VNA)

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 15 ordered leaders of sectors and localities to roll out specific goals, solutions and roadmaps, with a target to avoid healthcare and economic crisis.

He did so while presiding over a virtual meeting to review COVID-19 prevention and control efforts with leaders of localities now under social distancing measures following the PM's directive on strengthened social distancing.

A report of the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control showed that after 26 days of the implementation of the measures in the 19 southern localities, 216,719 infections were detected. Some localities have seen a decline in the number of locally-transmitted cases.

The Government leader spoke highly of the efforts by authorities in the country’s current largest hot spots of Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong and Dong Nai. However, he also pointed out that the situation remains complicated.

PM Chinh asked Party Secretaries of pandemic-hit localities must be heads of the steering board on COVID-19 prevention and control. In addition, each locality has to promptly set up a centre for COVID-19 prevention which operates around the clock.

He urged relevant agencies to speed up testing and contain the spread of the pandemic.

The Ministry of Health is tasked with further sending personnel to pandemic-hit localities, improving the capacity of medical staff at the district level and completing necessary procedures.

The PM also called for the acceleration of vaccination for prioritised groups, including people aged 50 and over, and the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines for children./.