Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has ordered that frontline forces and workers in industrial parks will receive top priority for vaccinations, according to a Government Office notice at the latest meeting of cabinet standing members on Covid-19 epidemic prevention and control. 

Thủ tướng: Ưu tiên tiêm vắc xin cho công nhân trong khu công nghiệp

Workers in an industrial park in the northern province of Bac Giang – an epidemic hot spot - give samples for Covid-19 testing.

 

The Prime Minister praised the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Epidemic Prevention and Control, ministries, agencies and local authorities, especially frontline forces such as health workers, soldiers, and police officers, for their efforts in epidemic fighting, contributing to the success of the general election on May 23. So far, six out of 30 Covid-19-hit provinces have had no new locally-transmitted cases in the past 14 days.

The consistent policy of the Government is to urgently take appropriate measures to have enough vaccines as soon as possible to vaccinate the people on a large scale.

The Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Health to take full responsibility for the purchase of vaccines. The ministry was told to buy vaccines from various sources available as soon as possible, as much as possible; to adopt incentive policies to mobilize scientific and technological forces, businesses, and investors to research and produce vaccines locally; and to actively seek and receive technology transfer for domestic vaccine production.

The Ministry of Health was asked to urgently coordinate with the Ministry of Finance to establish a Covid-19 vaccine fund to call for contributions from agencies, units, localities, businesses, benefactors and donors.

The new situation, new conditions, and new requirements on epidemic prevention and control make it necessary for Vietnam to review, amend, supplement and complete processes, procedures and guidelines on epidemic prevention and control, the government's notice said. 

After that, Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai signed a decision on the fund establishment.

According to the decision, the fund is set up to receive, manage, and use voluntary financial and vaccine donations and assistance from domestic and foreign organisations and individuals, along with other legal sources, for the COVID-19 vaccine procurement and import, research and production in the country, and the provision of vaccines for people.

Managed by the Ministry of Finance, the not-for-profit fund will use the mobilised capital resources for right purposes and in line with legal regulations, ensuring publicity, transparency and efficiency. It is subject to the examination, inspection, and auditing by relevant State agencies and to the supervision by the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the community.

It is assigned to coordinate with the Vietnam Fatherland Front and relevant agencies and organisations in mobilising donations and assistance for the purchase, import, research, production and use of the vaccines in line with regulations.

In related news, the Government Office has just sent a document to the ministries of Health, Finance, Defense and Public Security on preparing mobile laboratories for Covid-19 test and the application of IT solutions in epidemic fighting.

This morning, May 27, Vietnam recorded a further 25 new domestic cases of COVID-19, including 23 in Bac Giang epicenter, one in Lang Son, one imported infection which was isolated immediately after entry in Hanoi.

Vietnam has so far documented 4,621 local transmissions, and 1,490 imported cases.

The country has recorded a total of 3,051 local cases in the latest COVID-19 wave which recurred in the nation in late April.

One day earlier, 59 patients were declared free from the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, bringing the overall number of recoveries 2,853. The latest death of a 67-year-old woman confirmed the same day raised the total COVID-19 related deaths to 45.

On May 26, a total of 235 new local COVID-19 cases were posted nationwide, with Bac Giang and Bac Ninh remaining the two localities recording the highest number of infections at 121, and 91, respectively.

An additional 795 people were vaccinated against the coronavirus on May 26, raising the total number of vaccinated people in the country to 1,034,867, mainly frontline medical workers, and members of community-based anti-COVID-19 groups and the steering committees for COVID-19 prevention and control. 

 

Bac Ninh sets up 2 more COVID-19 treatment hospitals

The authorities in the northern province of Bac Ninh, which is a current hotspot of COVID-19, has decided to establish two more hospitals that together are capable of accommodating 700 beds to treat infected people.

One of the two is placed at the health centre of Thuan Thanh district, offering 200 beds. The other with 500 beds is located at the lung hospital and the hospital for traditional medicine and rehabilitation in Bac Ninh city.

The hospitals are responsible for providing first aid, quarantine, and treatment for COVID-19 patients, thus curbing the spread of the epidemic in the community.

Earlier, Bac Ninh established two similar hospitals at the medical centres of Tien Du and Gia Binh districts with a capacity of 300 beds each.

As of 6pm on May 26, the province logged 627 COVID-19 infections, including 464 in Thuan Thanh, 66 in Bac Ninh city, 35 in Que Vo and 33 in Yen Phong. VNA

Thanh Nam

 

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