PM requests all-out efforts, full-scale resources for COVID-19 fight

The fresh COVID-19 outbreak has generally been brought under control nationwide, although the situation remains complicated in several localities such as Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Ho Chi Minh City, and in parts of Hanoi, PM Chinh told a national conference on COVID-19 prevention and control held in the capital.

He went on to warn that the fight against COVID-19 would be tougher following the emergence of newly mutated strains, citing recently-detected chains of transmission occurring at crowded industrial parks and places of worship.

Among the causes for the latest cases, he said a complacent attitude has developed within a segment of the population, whilst several localities have adopted ineffective measures or been too late with their response, thereby causing the virus to spread widely among the community.

Upon recalling the motto of “fighting the epidemic likes fighting the enemy”, the PM stated that the ongoing fight against COVID-19 must be quicker, stronger, and more effective in order to control the current situation.

In this regard, he requested that relevant ministries, agencies, and localities maintain a close watch on the situation, make accurate forecasts based on data, and effectively carry out a combined defensive and attacking strategy.

Prevention must be used as a basic, long-term, and decisive strategy, the PM said, reminding localities not to be complacent but to instead remain calm in dealing with the latest developments of the new outbreaks.

He requested that various ministries and agencies remove difficulties in terms of financial sources, medical supplies, and even legal corridors faced by localities in their efforts to control the virus,

Any individual who takes advantage of pandemic prevention and control measures to distort the truth, sabotage, or cause social instability must be fined according to the law, PM Chinh stated.

With regard to vaccine supplies, the Government leader asked relevant ministries to access sources through any means of diplomatic or business channels, while also ramping up the domestic research and manufacturing of vaccines.

The PM has also assigned the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of National Defence to seek and purchase vaccine manufacturing technology.

He insisted that communication campaigns be further enhanced as part of efforts to remind local people of relevant COVID-19 guidelines and vaccinations, considering them to be the best way in which to keep the virus at bay among the community.

The PM also encouraged organisations and individuals to unite for the national COVID-19 vaccine fund to ensure that each citizen is fully vaccinated against the virus.

Vietnam has been battling its fourth COVID-19 wave since the reemergence of the virus in late April. Since then, the virus has spread to 34 cities and provinces nationwide, with more than 3,600 cases confirmed by the Ministry of Health (MoH), according to data released on May 29.

Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long also announced on the same day that Vietnamese scientists have detected a new hybrid strain of COVID-19 which is a mix of the variants previously identified in the UK and India.

At present, the MoH is continuing to push forward with its national COVID-19 vaccination campaign, a policy which was first implemented in March, with approximately 1.1 million doses administered so far.

The Ministry anticipates that Vietnam requires at least 150 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to inoculate its population. It has so far reach agreements with AstraZeneca, COVAX Facility, and Pfizer/BioNTech to supply 110 million doses.

The MoH is in the process seeking additional vaccine supplies from other manufacturers such as Moderna of the United States or Sputnik V of Russia.

In an effort to diversify sources of vaccine supply, Health Minister Long made a proposal on May 28 to purchase the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine during an online meeting with representatives of Zuellig Pharma, a partner of Moderna, to supply its COVID-19 vaccine in Asia.