Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has urged quick testing, and localization of outbreaks in order to separate F0 cases from the community during the social distancing and a revision of laws to address difficulties in investment and business amidst complex developments of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chairs a virtual meeting to review COVID-19 containment efforts. Photo: VOV

Upon addressing an online meeting on August 15 to review COVID-19 prevention and control efforts with leaders of localities now under social distancing measures, the cabinet leader asked leaders of sectors and localities to map out specific goals, solutions and roadmaps, with a primary goal of avoiding healthcare and economic crisis.

The Government chief said the pandemic situation remains very complicated or even serious in some areas.

Given the situation, Pham underscored the need to continue fighting the pandemic like fighting an enemy, considering it as the first priority in the nation now.

He urged subordinate levels to sustain high level of vigilance, stand ready for worse scenarios, rapidly conduct tests on high-risk groups to detect infected cases and to isolate the transmission sources.

Depending on the pandemic situation, each locality shall decide if F0s could be isolated and treated at home or at centralized quarantine sites.

PM asked the Ministry of Health and localities to consider giving priority to vaccinating those aged above 50 while calling on each individual to take whatever vaccine once it is his/her turn as the best vaccine is the one that one can get the soonest, according to the VGP.

He demanded probe on COVID-19 vaccine sales as all COVID-19 vaccines are being administered freely to citizens.

He also underlined the need to improve the capacity of medical staff at the district level, speed up vaccination roll out for prioritized groups, including people aged 50 and over, and the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines for children.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in the meeting on Aug 15. Photo: VGP

According to a report detailed by the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control, after 26 days of the enforcement of anti-pandemic measures in the 19 southern localities, as many as 216,719 cases of local transmission were recorded, with several localities witnessing a fall in the number of domestic cases.

However, the pandemic situation in coronavirus hotspots like HCM City, and some southern provinces remain complicated, with the large number of local infections being detected on a daily basis.

Many pandemic-hit localities have decided to extend lockdown measures in a bid to halt the widespread transmission of the virus to the wider community.

As of August 14, the nation confirmed a total of 265,464 local infections across 62 out of 63 provinces and cities nationwide, including more than 96,000 recoveries, and nearly 5,500 COVID-19 fatalities.

Law revision to be ordered to solve difficulties in investment, business

Many stores in Hanoi downtown have to close doors due to COVID-19 (Photo: VNA)

The document was sent to the Ministers of Planning and Investment, Finance, Industry and Trade, Natural Resources and Environment, Construction, Transport, Agriculture and Rural Development, Information and Communications, Justice, and Home Affairs.

It pointed out that after reviewing the recommendations of all the 63 provinces and cities, relevant agencies detected specific obstacles and difficulties facing investment, production and business activities caused by the overlapping and inconsistency of several legal documents.

Shoe production at Ching Luh Vietnam in the southern province of Long An. Photo: Nhandan

A revision by Government Office detected a number of contents that need to be studied, amended and supplemented immediately to remove obstacles specified in 29 laws related to State management of 10 ministries.

To promptly remove difficulties and obstacles, clear bottlenecks, mobilize all social resources, and promote production and business, the Government leader requested the ministers to direct and prioritize resources for the revision, research, amendment and supplementation of legal documents under their authority, said the VNA.

The highest priority should be given to speeding up the amendment and supplementation of legal regulations that are overlapped, disputable and inconsistent, he stressed.

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Tarah Nguyen