Deputy PM asks Vinh Long to quickly curb COVID-19 outbreaks

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam and a working delegation had a meeting with the People’s Committee of Vinh Long on July 21, during which he recommended the Mekong Delta province mobilize all resources and speed up testing and contact tracing to quickly push back COVID-19.

Asking the local authorities to seriously implement the Prime Minister’s Directive 16/CT-TTg, Dam said Vinh Long ought to clean out risky areas and turn itself into a safe COVID-19 prevention and control area as soon as possible.

The Deputy PM noted the province should promote the role of its political system and community-based COVID-19 safety groups in its fight against the pandemic.

Requiring people returning from pandemic-hit areas to fill the health declaration form and conducting suitable quarantine measures for those having contact with COVID-19 patients are also important, he added.

He also recommended the province pay attention to ensure social welfare and promptly implement support policy for people affected by COVID-19.

At the meeting, Director of the provincial Health Department Van Cong Minh said that from January 1 to 7am on July 21, Vinh Long recorded 483 cases of COVID-19, including 469 local infections. The province also reported four deaths. Currently, over 3,100 people are being quarantined at concentrated facilities and 9,900 at home.