HCMC – HCMC’s fight against the Covid-19 pandemic has showed signs of paying off thanks to the enhanced mobility restrictions, said secretary of the HCMC Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen.
At a meeting of the municipal Party Committee’s Standing Board on September 11, Nen said since September 7, new cases in the community, cases getting worse and deaths had fallen gradually.
Even though the falls have not been as large as expected, the results should be seen as positive, Nen was quoted by the local media.
Especially, the city recorded less than 200 Covid-19 deaths per day over the past two days. On August 22, one day before the city introduced enhanced restrictions amid the strong spike in cases, daily Covid deaths topped 340.
In addition, the number of people who got vaccinated against the coronavirus is increasing.
The city has established seven teams inspecting Thu Duc City and districts and found that districts 7, Cu Chi and Can Gio have basically brought the pandemic under control.
As for the anti-pandemic and economic recovery plan after September 15, Nen said the municipal government was working hard on the plan.
Speaking at the meeting, municipal chairman Phan Van Mai said the municipal government was building a plan to continue fighting the pandemic and help the virus-battered economy recover after September 15, adding that the city would welcome all proposals and recommendations to fine-tune the plan to recover the economy this year and in the following years.
Mai informed that the prime minister had worked with six localities, recognizing HCMC’s positive results in the fight against the pandemic thanks to the falling number of new Covid-19 cases and the improved treatment of Covid-19 patients.
The results were thanks to the enhancement of the treatment capacity at hospitals and the army medical force.
The Government leader also directed the city to establish a working team for recovering the city economy.
Thus, the city will rely on the healthcare sector to combat the pandemic and the working team to recover the economy. The city will need the involvement of experts in healthcare, economy, culture and society and consult with domestic and foreign businesses and associations.
HCMC needs more time to bring Covid under control
Concluding the meeting, Nen said HCMC might not reach the target to bring the pandemic under control by September 15, so it would need more time. It would propose extending the deadline to the end of September.
The city has taken enhanced anti-pandemic measures for 103 days. Given what has been happening over the past three months in the city, the zero Covid strategy has not worked while the city economy cannot bear strict mobility restrictions any longer, Nen added.
Anti-pandemic measures will apply depending on the trajectory of the pandemic and the risk of transmission in each area.
The city is consistent that the safety of local residents is the first priority, Nen noted.
He also mentioned the role of HCMC in the southern key economic zone and the entire country. Therefore, the city must not be subjective, heedless and impatient, so all steps must be conducted with caution.
Nen required gradually resuming activities in each sector, adding that conditions must be made favorable for organizations and individuals to make suggestions. The feasibility and roadmaps of strategies as well as their connection with other strategies must be taken into account.
