Government’s special working group for COVID-19 fight established amid worse outbreak

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired the government meeting on COVID-19 fight

Under the directions of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, the special working group will deal with urgent tasks and issues emerging during the fight in Ho Chi Minh City and cities and provinces adopting social distancing.

The group members include deputy ministers of National Defence; Public Security; Health; Agriculture and Rural Development; Information and Communications; Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs; Industry and Trade; Transport; as well as the chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee; among others.

Vu Duc Dam, head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, directs the working group and will report to the prime minister regarding matters beyond his authority.

COVID-19 is developing in many cities and provinces, especially in Ho Chi Minh City. The PM approved implementing social distancing in line with Decree No.16/CT-TTg in 19 southern cities and provinces to bring the pandemic under control as soon as possible.

However, the performance of the decree by some state agencies and parts of the population remain weak. Meanwhile, transportation, and the flow of goods and necessities between cities and provinces doing social distancing and others remain inefficient and insufficient. Moreover, coordination among ministries, agencies, and localities remains loose. Some even fail to meet the requirements for pandemic prevention and fight.

Between 6.30 pm of July 20 and 6 am of July 21, Vietnam recorded over 2,780 new COVID-19 infections, including 1,739 in Ho Chi Minh City, 657 in Binh Duong, 85 in Dong Nai, 65 in Tien Giang, and 39 in Vinh Long (39).

As of the morning of July 21, Vietnam detected a total of more than 65,600 COVID-19 infection cases, including over 63,500 locals and 2,097 foreign entrants.

Thus far, more than 4.33 million people have been vaccinated, including over four million getting their first shot.

Ho Chi Minh City plans to administer over 1.1 million shots in next vaccination drive

The ways of Vietnamese people in fighting COVID-19

Ho Chi Minh City will reopen the traditional markets to ease the lack of fresh food