Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa asked to strictly follow social distancing measures

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam (Photo: VNA)

Strict implementation of social distancing measures is crucial in COVID-19 prevention and control, stressed Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam at an online meeting with leaders of the south central provinces of Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa on July 9.

Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa are among localities experiencing complicated developments of the pandemic.

So far, Phu Yen has reported 425 infections with about 3,500 F1s (people having close contact with infection cases). It has set up four COVID-19 treatment hospitals with a total of 400 beds, along with three quarantine sites at provincial level accommodating about 800 people and 43 others in districts with capacity of hosting nearly 3,000 people. It has designed plans to ensure quarantine facilities for up to 7,000 people.

Phu Yen has raised its testing capacity to 3,000 samples per day.

Meanwhile, Khanh Hoa has seen 146 COVID-19 cases in the community since June 23, with 1,365 F1s.

The locality’s Realtime RT-PCR testing capacity has reached about 10,000 samples per day. The locality plans to allow F1s to take home quarantine.

Addressing the meeting, Deputy PM Dam asked the localities to tighten supervision on the implementation of social distancing measures regardless the scale of coverage.

Along with speeding up the tracing of people having contact with COVID-19 patients, the provinces should focus on giving COVID-19 tests for workers in large-scale factories, he stressed.

He asked the Ministry of Health to dispatch more forces to support Phu Yen as the province’s treatment capacity remains modest.

Regarding the plan of allowing F1s to take home quarantine, the Deputy PM reminded the localities to classify F1 cases basing on various data, while ensuring close watch on the implementation of pandemic prevention and control measures in their family to reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading.

He also asked the Health Ministry to give assistance to Khanh Hoa in COVID-19 rapid test.

Along with the central-level support, the two localities should assist each other in pandemic fight, he added.