HCMC – All residents should stay on high alert for Covid and must not be heedless of Covid vaccination, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, head of the national steering committee for Covid prevention and control, told the committee’s 15th meeting today, July 5.
Fearing a pandemic resurgence, the prime minister warned against negligence in Covid prevention, the local media reported.
No residents are safe when one person is infected with Covid. No provinces, districts or communes are safe while one struggles with the pandemic, said the prime minister.
“We must prevent and fight off Covid to boost socioeconomic growth, (…) improve residents’ quality of life and steer the country toward prosperity and strength,” said the Government leader.
Besides, the prime minister ordered putting public health first, asking the health authorities and local agencies to encourage residents to get Covid vaccine boosters to improve immunity. Getting vaccinated against Covid is every resident’s right, obligation and duty, he added.
The cities and provinces were told to speed up their Covid vaccination drives to guarantee residents’ health and ensure the country’s safety.
The Ministry of Health and other relevant agencies were told to keep a close watch on the development of the Covid pandemic worldwide, especially on new variants, and proactively adopt appropriate measures to prevent the resurgence of the pandemic.
Speaking of the shortage of medicine and medical equipment, the prime minister asked the Ministry of Health to quickly simplify procedures and remove obstacles over medicine and equipment acquisition.
According to the national anti-Covid steering committee, since the start of 2022, the country has reported over nine million Covid infections, with more than 8.3 million of them having recovered.
As of July 3, Vietnam had administered over 233 million doses of Covid vaccines, making it one of the nations with the highest vaccination rates.
However, the pace of booster vaccinations has remained slow, leading to a larger volume of doses left unused in many cities and provinces.
Meanwhile, a severe shortage of medicine and medical equipment is plaguing many cities and provinces, weakening treatment and care and affecting anti-Covid efforts.
