Setting up battle against Omicron

Update: 12-01-2022 | 12:18:51

According to researchers, it is estimated that the Omicron variant of Covid-19 spreads five to six times faster than the Delta variant. It is expected that if the Omicron variant enters Binh Duong, the number of cases will increase, possibly reaching a daily peak of more than 10,000 cases. The province is setting up a battle against the Omicron variant, minimizing the impact of the pandemic on people's health and socio-economic activities.

Being ready for treatment areas, increasing vaccination

Provincial Department of Health has just set up a draft plan against the Omicron variant. Accordingly, the sector is ready for treatment areas under the 3-storey tower model to cope with each pandemic situation from 4,000 - 5,000 cases per day, increasing to 8,000 - 10,000 cases per day and possibly reaching over 10,000 cases per day. In case of less than 10,000 cases per day with an average treatment time of 10 days, the sector prepares less than 100,000 hospital beds, 95%, of which are reserved for mild and asymptomatic cases, corresponding to 95,000 cases isolated at home; 4% for patients on the 2nd treatment floor in districts, towns and cities, and 1% for non-public hospitals and 3rd floor treatment areas at provincial General Hospital and Becamex International Hospital. If the number of daily cases at over 10,000 will exceed the local capacity, the sector proposes social distancing, focusing on treating patients on the 2nd and 3rd floors (including the ICU) in districts, towns, cities and 2 hospitals with the 3rd floor treatment.

Medical staff check the list of foreigners on entry at Saigon Park Resort in Thuan An city

Nguyen Loc Ha, member of provincial Party Standing Committee, Vice-Chairman of provincial People's Committee said: "In order to proactively cope with the unpredictable developments of the Covid-19 pandemic and the risk of Omicron variant transmission, provincial People's Committee has suggested localities to further assess the level of the pandemic for appropriate measures, ensuring the local production recovery activities. The health sector has paid special importance to improving grassroots medical capacity, proactively prepared human resources and medical supplies to ensure that people will early get access to healthcare. The sector has also actively strengthened screening tests for high-risk cases and areas in order to early detect new strains; urgently organize safe vaccination as quickly as possible".

Mr. Ha also noted that at the request of provincial Party Standing Committee, localities must further accelerate Covid-19 vaccination in the direction of shifting from priority to the group of people with underlying diseases and those over 50 to the effort of injecting all people in the indicated age group. In order to prevent and combat the new variant of Omicron, people need to further improve the spirit of proactiveness in pandemic prevention and control under the guidance of specialized agencies, along with getting full vaccination, complying with the "5K" message of the Ministry of Health.

Strengthening control over foreigners ‘entry

Identifying imported cases from abroad as one of the sources of Covid-19 transmission, especially the Omicron variant, provincial Industrial Parks’ Management Board has coordinated with provincial Department of Health, Department of Labor Invalids and Social Affairs, Department of Foreign Affairs to advise provincial Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control on immigration activities of foreigners. Dr.Nguyen Hong Chuong, Director of provincial Department of Health said that the plan for isolation and medical supervision for foreigners entering Binh Duong has been approved by provincial Department of Health. And then, provincial Immigration Department under the Ministry of Public Security will consider immigration procedures for these experts. Provincial Police Agency will direct the local police forces to monitor over foreigners’entry for isolation.

Meanwhile, the health centers of districts, towns and cities will supervise, monitor and take samples for SARS-CoV-2 testing, instruct foreigners on isolation measures, self-monitor their health, ensure pandemic prevention and control under the regulations of the Ministry of Health. The units will report the local management and supervision of foreigners ‘entry to provincial Center for Disease Control and Department of Health. For companies that invite foreign experts, they need to comply with regulations for foreigners to enter, arrange vehicles to transport experts from airports or border gates to quarantine places, ensuring safety for Covid-19 prevention and control. Companies immediately report to local authorities, grassroots health agencies for instructions on health monitoring and sampling for testing while committing to comply with regulations and taking full responsibility if the pandemic spreads to the community.

According to statistics, since early the pandemic, the whole province has welcomed 4,385 foreign experts and their relatives. These experts from many different countries around the world such as China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, the UK, the USA, Germany, Italy, Singapore, Philippines, Denmark, France, Australia, Canada, Ireland... have worked for enterprises in province-based industrial parks, namely VSIP I, VSIP II, South Tan Uyen, Viet Huong ... Among them, there were 4,197 experts entering Vietnam via Tan Son Nhat airport and 188 via Moc Bai border gate in Tay Ninh province. As a result, there were 7 cases testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 virus.

From January 13 to March 15, the province is expected to welcome 150 foreign experts and their relatives from 60 companies. These experts and relatives have had enough doses of Covid-19 vaccine, but must self-monitor their health for the first 3 days from the date of entry, not be in contact with people around them, and not leave their places of residence, perform SARS-CoV-2 test by RT-PCR method on the 3rd day from the date of entry. If showing negative SARS-CoV-2 test results, they need to further monitor their health until the end of 14 days from the date of entry.

Reported by Hoang Linh-Translated by Kim Tin

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Setting up battle against Omicron

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