The Standing Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee has just issued an official dispatch directing the relevant units to strengthen measures to prevent the spreading of the above-mentioned diseases during the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday and festive season in the first month of lunar calendar 2024.
Accordingly, the Municipal Department of Health was asked to keep a close eye on the pandemic situation in the city, prepare solutions to promptly deal with arising issues, coordinate with departments, agencies and People's Committees of districts and Thu Duc City to carry out sustainable management activities for Covid-19 and disease control measures to prevent seasonal flu, avian influenza, acute respiratory infections. The move aims to protect people in high-risk groups from the Covid-19 pandemic. The city's health authorities will organize expanded vaccination for children right after receiving vaccines from the Ministry of Health.
Besides, it is essential to strictly handle cases that spread negative information and violate epidemic prevention regulations in the city.
Associate Professor Dr. Tang Chi Thuong, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health said that since the beginning of the year, hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City have not recorded any new severe Covid-19 cases.
However, in the context of the unpredictable Covid-19 pandemic with the appearance of new variants in some countries in the world, Ho Chi Minh City is likely to also face a surge in the number of infections again in the coming time.
Therefore, the Department of Health has requested the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC) to continue coordinating with relevant units to enhance surveillance for cases, new Covid-19 variants along with acute respiratory distress agents.
Additionally, healthcare facilities are asked to strengthen the diagnosis and detection of Covid-19 cases among people in the high-risk group, thereby providing appropriate care and treatment to minimize the risk of complications or death; and prevent cross-infection in hospitals.
Amid the risk of disease outbreaks and transmission during the upcoming Lunar New Year, the Ministry of Health has directed local health authorities at border gates to strengthen health quarantine to timely detect, isolate and deal with suspected cases.
