In the meeting, Chairman of HCMC People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong affirmed that most city dwellers correctly observe Directive 16 of the Prime Minister to minimize their traveling unless necessary. At various checkpoints around the city, the functional forces have punished about 1,200 violators.
A new field hospital for mild F0 cases is established in Thu Thiem new urban area, with the capacity of 18,000 beds, and a centralized quarantine ward with 6,000 beds.
The Chairman reported that 42/128 businesses in industrial parks and export processing zones have registered to follow the on-site quarantine-and-work plan. They have prepared sufficient empty space and warehouses for the daily activities of their own employees.
However, other enterprises have voiced their inability to follow such an ideal plan and their concern over the health safety of their staff, who need to travel to and fro working sites.
Chairman Phong praised certain localities who have developed a detailed and clear plan for the 15-day social distance period, ranging from collecting test samples, supplying commodities, to taking care of the poor and vulnerable.
Head of the HCMC Party Committee’s Mass Mobilization Commission Nguyen Huu Hiep informed that the city has prepared a scenario when there are 20,000 F0 and 200,000 F1, with 50 percent of the latter group being quarantined at home safely.
He then proposed that the Health Ministry adjust certain criteria related to F1 quarantining at home in apartment blocks and newly built private houses, under the monitoring of community Covid-19 team. Any F1 living in small alleys or rented rooms and not able to maintain a safe social distance with the community must come to centralized quarantine wards.
Chairwoman of the HCMC Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front To Thi Bich Chau shared that until July 11, HCMC delivered around VND83 billion (approx. US$3.6 million) to 54,700 poor people and provided shelter for many homeless people.
At present, her organization is cooperating with local organizations to reach out to those in need, even if they do not belong to the six vulnerable groups mentioned in Resolution No.09 by HCMC People’s Council.
In the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam asked that HCMC continue to update its health database in order to serve the analysis and evaluation task so that the most feasible solutions could be devised.
In Covid-19 hot spots where there are over 30 new infections per day, he demanded stricter observation of Directive 16, with severe punishment to violators.
Citing the high quantity of Covid-19 patients who are workers in industrial parks, Mr. Dam stated the urgent need of maintain health safety in these manufacturing plants. HCMC must categorize businesses into groups that can follow the on-site quarantine-and-work plan and those that cannot to provide necessary management solutions.
He also suggested that HCMC actively work with the Health Ministry regarding methods for F1 to stay quarantined at home to partially ease the burden on the medical staff. In addition, the city should shift its target from limiting F0 cases to limiting death caused by Covid-19 while closely monitoring current F0 so that their status will not worsen.
As to the vaccination task, the Deputy Prime Minister proposed that besides giving priority to the frontline force and commodities distributors, HCMC should also consider focusing on vaccinating people in buffer zones and factories.
In his speech, Secretary of HCMC Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen expressed his great confidence in the collaboration between the municipal authorities and the community in this tough fight against Covid-19. He asked that citizens have to keep calm and be more sympathetic, passionate with one another to show off their love and caring.
To help residents stay calm, there must be hotlines of the authorities so that these people can deliver feedback, report violations, and voice their concerns, which will then be timely and effectively handled. Along with propaganda campaigns is the strong punishments to those violating the Covid-19 prevention regulations.
The HCMC Party Leader stated that the trust of the community, the support of the central Government and other regions in the whole country will be a strong spiritual and physical boost for HCMC to win this combat after the 15-day social distance period.
Mr. Nen also requested that the frontline force precisely and timely pinpoint F0 cases and track their close contact. People in hospitals and quarantine wards must be under good care, with sufficient nutrition supply, so that their immune system is stronger and their health status will not turn worse while their mind is at ease.
He then approved the proposal to use the newly built hospital for cancer patients (not in operation at the moment) as a site to treat serious Covid-19 patients. Necessary medical equipment and needed resources will be transported here to serve the treatment.
Finally, seeing that the Covid-19 has attacked into industrial parks and export processing zones, Secretary Nen demanded that any businesses that cannot satisfy Covid-19 prevention criteria must cease their operation at once. The plan to work and stay quarantined on site is a wise one, so he encouraged any enterprises that have sufficient capacity to follow this plan in this 15-day social distance period.
