Army to support localities in fight against COVID-19: Minister

Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Phan Van Giang said that his ministry will increase forces and vehicles to support localities to push back the fourth wave of COVID-19 outbreaks.

Sen. Lieut. Gen. Phan Van Giang speaks at the meeting with the Ministry of National Defence’s Steering Board for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, and competent units

At a meeting on May 16 with the ministry’s Steering Board for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, and competent units, Giang ordered the whole military to focus on COVID-19 prevention and control, with a priority given to strengthening forces along the borderlines.

He particularly stressed that military hospitals must work to prevent COVID-19 from penetrating these establishments, adding the military forces will support the Ministry of Health to transport COVID-19 vaccines to key areas.

Giang requested Military Region 1 to build field barracks to ensure pandemic prevention work, while asking competent sides to step up communication and collaboration with localities to devise plans to ensure security and safety for the upcoming elections amid complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The military medical sector will soon add more equipment as well as mobile testing vehicles in response to emergencies of the pandemic, he emphasised.

Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Nguyen Xuan Kien, Director of the Military Medical Department under the General Department of Logistics, briefed participants on the COVID-19 prevention work in military units in the past time.

The military has given 82,000 COVID-19 vaccine shots to officers and soldiers so far, and carrying out 72 quarantine sites with nearly 16,000 quarantined people, he said, adding around 12,000 officers are on duty at over 1,800 posts along the borderlines to prevent illegal immigration.

The military medical sector has mobilised forces and vehicles, getting ready for pandemic prevention work.

Currently, the military is activating its pandemic prevention system at the highest level, and making preparations for concentrated quarantine sites and COVID-19 treatment hospitals with sufficient equipment and medical supplies.

On May 16, the defence ministry enhanced forces and mobile testing vehicles to support Bac Giang and Bac Ninh provinces to combat the pandemic, he added./.

VNA