PM asks ministers to gear up efforts to ensure supply of necessities for COVID-19 fight

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh called for even greater action from ministers to fight COVID-19

On July 17, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired a government meeting on the prevention and fight against COVID-19 with the participation of deputy prime ministers, relevant ministers, and leaders of other authorities.

After listening to the reports of ministers and deputy prime ministers, the government leader asked deputy prime ministers to direct ministers in resolving the difficulties and challenges related to the pandemic prevention and fight.

Specifically, the Ministry of National Defence will need to provide troops and orchestrate the smooth transportation of food and necessities to serve people, while closely working with cities and provinces in establishing field hospitals and with the Ministry of Health (MoH) to roll out vaccination.

The Ministry of Public Security was tasked with ensuring social security and order and network security, especially at areas under blockade, lockdown, or social distancing.

The MoH is responsible for ensuring sufficient equipment and medical materials, providing guidance on social distancing, issuing timely solutions to increase treatment capacity in each locality implementing social distancing while mobilising and using funds to buy biological products, medical materials, and devices. It will also build scenarios for the fight, especially when the scale of the outbreak infections reaches 100,000, 200,000, or 300,000 infections.

The Ministry of Transport was directed to ensure the smooth transportation of goods, materials, food and foodstuff, and other necessities among cities and provinces implementing social distancing while closely working with the MoH to provide guidance on managing drivers and means of transport at these areas.

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs was called on to support the unemployed or workers at difficult conditions and submit a report to the PM with the necessary updates to supporting policies.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will coordinate authorities and work with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, cities and provinces, and relevant businesses to ensure the sufficient supply of goods, food and foodstuff, and necessities. It will also issue measures to support farmers, especially the poor and unemployed.

The Ministry of Finance was directed to ensure financial resources and timely arrange the funding for pandemic prevention and fight. Meanwhile, the State Bank of Vietnam will direct financial institutions to carry out supporting policies for people and businesses hit by COVID-19.

In the meantime, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will work with the MoH on approaching and negotiating with foreign partners about the purchase of medical materials, devices, and vaccines.

The Ministry of Information and Communications was tasked with working with relevant agencies on ensuring the smooth announcement of news on COVID-19 while completing IT applications to support the pandemic prevention and fight.

From the evening of July 17 to the morning of July 18, Vietnam reported nearly 2,500 new COVID-19 infections, including over 1,700 cases in Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong (281), Dong Nai (75), Long An (48), Tay Ninh (42), and Ba Ria-Vung Tau (41).

As of July 17, Vietnam vaccinated over 4.2 million people, four million of whom have received the first shot.

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