More effort needed to prevent and control Covid-19

On February 21, 2022, the Ministry of Health issued Official Telegram No. 235/CD-BYT sent to the Chairman of the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities. According to the telegram, the Ministry of Health calls on localities to strengthen the implementation of measures to prevent and control the Covid-19 pandemic, specifically as follows:

1. Strictly implement the directions of the Prime Minister, the National Steering Committee, and the Ministry of Health's instructions on preventing the Covid-19 pandemic. People's Committees at all levels strictly implement Resolution No. 128/NQ-CP dated October 11, 2021, of the Government on "Safe, flexible adaptation and effective control of the Covid-19 pandemic," and Decision No. 218 /QD-BYT dated January 27, 2022, of the Ministry of Health. Localities continue to thoroughly understand and strictly implement medical measures (surveillance, testing, isolation, treatment), and administrative measures, related to production and business activities, tourism, school opening, and people's travel. This ensures unity in pandemic prevention and control, associated with good implementation of socio-economic recovery and development.

2. Comprehensive treatment, stratified treatment, and minimizing deaths are top priorities. Strictly implement the work of classifying, and providing effective treatment at all levels. Ensure enough medicine, consumables, equipment, protective equipment, especially medical oxygen at treatment facilities. Strengthen the organization of quarantine, home care, treatment, consultation, monitoring, and remote treatment consultation. Timely transfer for treatment to avoid a situation where a person with Covid-19 cannot contact a medical facility, and cannot receive medical monitoring, or medication.

3. Continue to deploy Covid-19 vaccination more quickly, ensuring coverage of additional doses and booster doses for people 18 years of age and older, and enough basic doses for people 12-17 years old. Prepare resources to vaccinate children from 5 to 11 years old against Covid-19 as soon as the Ministry of Health has instructions. Organize home vaccination for people with mobility difficulties.

4. Strongly and comprehensively deploy the "Campaign to protect people at risk" with communication measures, advice on Covid-19 prevention, Covid-19 vaccination, and screening tests to detect infected people with Covid-19. Deploy care and treatment of people with Covid-19, protect people in risk groups when their family members are infected with Covid-19, provide physical and psychosocial care.

5. Ensure the prevention of Covid-19 pandemic in schools. Based on the assessment of the local pandemic level (to the commune level), organize the early return of students to school for direct teaching and learning. Take appropriate measures to handle F0 and F1 cases in schools, ensure pandemic prevention and control, and create conditions for preschool children and students to go to school safely.

6. Strengthen communication work to improve people's initiative in pandemic prevention, self-monitoring of health, and strict implementation of 5K. Wear a mask when going out in public or interacting with people around, and do not gather or go to crowded places when unnecessary. Participate in full Covid-19 vaccination, do not be negligent in pandemic prevention and control. Propagate to people, agencies, units, schools, and factories to keep their homes and workplaces airy to reduce the risk of infection. When there are signs of health abnormalities (cough, fever, difficulty breathing, sore throat, loss of taste), immediately report to the health agency for support, advice, monitoring, and timely treatment.

7. Improve the capacity of the health system, especially grassroots health care, have the plan to mobilize, and supplement healthcare human resources to support pandemic prevention in schools. Develop additional policies, regimes, and forms of encouragement and reward for medical staff and networks participating in consulting, treating, and caring for people infected with SARS-CoV-2 at preventive health facilities, intensive care centers, and Covid-19 treatment facilities.

8. Carry out daily information and reporting of infectious diseases,

monitoring results, investigation, and prevention of the Covid-19 pandemic to the Ministry of Health (General Department of Preventive Medicine, email: baocaobtn@gmail.com) according to regulations.

9. Strengthen inspection of pandemic prevention and control at agencies, units, organizations, and businesses, especially at hospitals, production facilities, markets, supermarkets, railway stations, airports, and bus stations. Strictly handle violations of Covid-19 pandemic prevention and control.

Support given to localities to fight against Covid outbreak

World Vision Vietnam supports Minh Long district's COVID-19 prevention and control.

Medical supplies were handed over to needy localities as roughly 100,000 new Covid-19 cases are being reported nationwide every day.

Quang Ngai province's Minh Long district has revealed a sharp increase in the Covid-19 infection rate among teachers and students after the Lunar New Year holiday due to the reopening of schools.

According to data reported from the beginning of 2022, Minh Long district has had over 160 children with Covid-19 undergoing treatment and monitoring at home, including 76 registered children and six most vulnerable children.

The problematic living condition of households with children infected with Covid has slowed down the children's health recovery and their ability to return to school.

Faced with this situation, World Vision Vietnam has distributed 250 support packages to children infected with Covid in the project areas. Each support package includes 10kg of rice, antiseptic solution, Vitamin C supplements and face masks.

Previously, to ensure children's safety when returning to schools amid the complicated developments of the pandemic, World Vision Vietnam had held many communication and training sessions to improve the ability to cope with Covid-19 of partners and communities in Minh Long district.

In addition, World Vision Vietnam also supported essential medical equipment to reduce the risk of infection for children and the community. This is part of the organization's efforts over the past years to contribute to "safely adapting, flexibly, and effectively controlling the Covid-19" in the area, according to the policy of the Government of Vietnam.

The number of Covid-19 cases among local children has been on the rise, especially when boarding schools have reopened.

In Muong Ang district of Dien Bien province, the number of infections continues to increase sharply in the community, seriously affecting the learning and life of children, especially those in boarding schools, including the most vulnerable children.

World Vision Vietnam is also supporting 640 children from two boarding schools for ethnic minorities: Muong Ang and Bung Lao High Schools. The support package includes 1,000kg of rice, 4,641 boxes of fresh pasteurized milk, 4,000 medical masks, 100 bottles of sanitizer, 100 bottles of cooking oil, and 293 personal drinking water bottles.

With a total budget of more than USD 3,115, the activity is World Vision Vietnam's effort to support children in preventing Covid-19 while ensuring food security, and helping to meet their basic nutritional needs.

In addition to the above emergency support activities, World Vision Vietnam has also cooperated with the program management board of the six target communes to communicate to Covid-19 safety measures, including six steps of handwashing with soap, proper use of medical masks, and correct application of the 5K rules.

Pasteur Institute receives additional 34 ultra-low freezers from US to store Covid-19 vaccines. Source: US embassy

The U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper on March 4 handed over 34 out of 111 ultra-low temperature freezers donated by the U.S. Department of Defense to Ho Chi Minh City-based Pasteur Institute.

Each freezer weighs 676 pounds and stores up to 175,500 doses of vaccine. Its storage temperature ranges from -80 to -20 degrees Celsius.

Each unit is independently equipped with a wireless notification module. It will send out alert notifications if the freezer unit malfunctions or experiences power interruption.

“I was honored to hand over 34 ultra-low temperature freezers from the people of the U.S. to the people of Vietnam at Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City today. These freezers will strengthen Vietnam’s capacity to manage Covid-19. The handover of these freezers reflects the spirit of support and cooperation that has animated the U.S.-Vietnam bilateral partnership over the last 26 years," said Knapper.

"It is my sincere belief that by working together, we can overcome the difficulties imposed by the pandemic and improve the lives and livelihoods of Vietnamese people across the country."

These freezers will be distributed to hospitals throughout HCM City, and neighboring provinces, and will allow more sites to store mRNA vaccines, like the Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines.

Since last July, the U.S. has donated over 26 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to Vietnam, making the U.S. the largest vaccine donor to Vietnam.

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