To intensify COVID-19 prevention and control after Tet

Statistics on the COVID-19 epidemic during the Lunar New Year of the Tiger in 2022 show good signs about the province's COVID-19 prevention and control in the new situation. Upholding the determination to maintain the achievements of COVID-19 prevention and control, after Tet, Binh Duong continues to implement key measures to deal with the epidemic situations, especially with the Omicron variant of the virus.

Infection dives during Lunar New Year

In the past 9 days, the COVID-19 epidemic in the province has fallen sharply on all indicators. The number of new cases in the week was 308 - a decrease of 26% compared to the week before Tet at an average of 44 new cases per day. The average number of cured and discharged cases including positive rapid test cases per day is 467. In 16 treatment areas with a total number of beds of more than 4,000, only 90 patients are still being treated, accounting for 2.2% of the total number of beds; 5,257 patients treat at home. Statistics show that in the past 9 days, the whole province had 46 cases of F0 hospitalized at treatment facilities - a decrease of 61% compared to the previous week while the number of cases transferred to the 3rd floor decreased by 66.7%; and the number of severe cases of mechanical inspiration and death slightly increased.

During the Tet holiday from January 29 to February 6, localities in the province have organized spring 2022 vaccination campaign with more than 8,300 doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Up to now, the province has injected more than 4.6 million doses out of a total of more than 5.8 million doses allocated by the Ministry of Health, of which the third dose accounts for more than 1 million doses. This is the data on the national vaccination portal, but in reality the number of people vaccinated is much higher as the update is following up.

Binh Duong provincial People’s Committee demand that localities should not foster apathy against COVID-19 epidemic after Tet. In this photo: Medical staff are working in Di An city to thoroughly take care of F0

Record in localities shows that on Tet holidays, the number of F0 decreases sharply as every day, medical stations and mobile medical stations open to serve people to vaccinate against COVID-19. Following the Prime Minister's direction of "faster" and "more rapid" injecting additional and booster shots to people according to the guidance of the Ministry of Health, Binh Duong has launched a campaign to vaccinate throughout the Tet holiday - "vaccination throughout Tet". Each locality has set up at least 1 injection point to serve the people, absolutely not to let people need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 fail to be vaccinated. Ms. Nguyen Thi Hien, Deputy Chairwoman of Thuan An city People's Committee, said that in the past week, the city recorded only 15 cases of F0. This is a good sign and people are very excited. Especially, during Tet, a series of ward health stations have organized vaccination for people. By summarizing the first phase of the spring vaccination campaign, the whole city has administered more than 4,300 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to people, accounting for about 50% of the total vaccine doses in the province.

Conditions for COVID-19 prevention and control ensured after Tet

Talking to reporters, Mr. Nguyen Loc Ha, Standing Member of the provincial Party Committee, Deputy Chairman of the provincial People's Committee, said that now the COVID-19 epidemic situation has been basically controlled throughout the province. All localities have transitioned to a state of "safe adaptation, flexibility, and effective control of the Covid-19 epidemic" according to Resolution No. 128/NQ-CP of the government. Some localities still continue to record new cases, but this number is not many just about less than 40 cases a day. The Deputy Chairman of the provincial People's Committee said that in the time after Tet and the festive season in 2022, people's travel demand increases, potentially posing a risk of spreading COVID-19 in the community including the Omicron variants. In the context of gradually opening up social activities and economic development, the number of hospital admissions will increase, putting great pressure on the health care system, especially affecting highly vulnerable groups of seriously ill (the elderly and people with underlying medical conditions).

The provincial People's Committee has approved the plan to prevent and control the COVID-19 epidemic, especially with the new strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which ensures the goal of reducing the rate of transfer and the rate of severe transfer or death. In the immediate future, the provincial People's Committee drastically directs localities not to neglect COVID-19 prevention and control after Tet to promote vaccination against COVID-19 for people and review the number of people who have not received the 3rd dose of vaccines. Each commune, ward and township unit is required to organize at least 1 vaccination point until all people are vaccinated with the 3rd dose.

Referring to the plan for COVID-19 prevention and control in 2022, Dr. Nguyen Hong Chuong, Director of Department of Health, said that the Department has directed units and localities to urgently develop a plan for COVID-19 prevention and control in 2022 and organize the implementation as soon as possible, specifically by assigning relevant units according to each content and area in charge to strengthen the implementation of prevention and control of dangerous diseases and winter-spring epidemics with focus on monitoring cases of respiratory diseases, especially COVID-19 and new variants of the virus. The Department also calculates and deploys plans to promptly take samples for testing to diagnose the causative agent early and implement and thoroughly handle the outbreak to prevent the disease from spreading in the community. The Department is implementing Decision 218/BYT-QD of “Temporary guidance on medical professionals to implement Resolution No. 128/NQ-CP dated October 11, 2021 of the government promulgating the provisional regulation of “adapting safety, flexibility, and effective control of the COVID-19 epidemic” replacing Decision No. 4800/QD-BYT of the Ministry of Health.

Reported by Kim Ha – Translated by Vi Bao