Accordingly, the ministry asked the concerned units and localities to continue the anti-epidemic strategy throughout the five principles of "preventing, detecting, isolating, zoning and stamping out the epidemic", while thoroughly implementing the “on the spot” motto to make use of local resources in the fight against COVID-19.
The MoH also required the inspection and supervision over the implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control in hospitals be strengthened, while organising safe vaccination against COVID-19.
Preventive medical facilities were asked to continue to improve their testing capacity, in addition to urgently organise the fastest and most compact zoning when detecting new infection cases in the community, as well as quickly tracing objects in close contact to the cases and implement isolation according to regulations.
Departments of Health of provinces and cities should coordinate with relevant units to strengthen inspection, supervision, and rectification of concentrated isolation, combined with proactively developing scenarios and hosting drills for the epidemic prevention and control in line with their specific situations.
On the morning of May 13, Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen led a delegation from the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Response to check the anti-epidemic situation in Thai Binh. The northern province currently has 13 COVID-19 cases. Currently, Thai Binh continues to implement strict medical isolation in local hotspots, but only requires the halting of activities in non-essential fields, while other production and business activities may take place normally.
At a teleconference on the same day with the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, the Pasteur Institute, and testing establishments of the MoH, Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan affirmed that the current COVID-19 testing capacity of Vietnam has been improved substantially, rising two- to three-fold from the previous outbreaks. Thuan said laboratories nationwide are now capable of testing 100,000 single samples per day, and the capacity can increase by five- to ten-fold when it comes to pooled testing.
Vietnam has mastered sufficient testing techniques to detect and diagnose the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, including the Read time RT-PCR for confirmatory testing, rapid antigen testing, and rapid antibody testing. There are 175 testing labs capable of conducting coronavirus tests nationwide at present, including 125 carrying out confirmatory tests.
In order to detect COVID-19 cases early, some localities have stepped up testing and screening. Vinh Phuc Province has mobilised voluntary testing (paid for testing) to all cadres, civil servants and people. First of all, the work is deployed in industrial parks, social isolation and high-risk areas. Vinh Phuc also requested local enterprises to organise testing for 100% of employees using the enterprise's resources (in the form of combined or single testing). Currently, Vinh Phuc has 15 industrial parks with more than 94,000 employees.
Up to now, Ho Chi Minh City has tested 16,800 workers in export processing zones (EPZs), industrial zones and hi-tech zones in the city. The Management Board of EPZs and Industrial Parks of the city has implemented monitoring and inspection of the activities of production facilities and factories in EPZs and industrial zones according to the set of indicators for assessing the risk of coronavirus infection. In addition, all hospitals are required to take samples for testing for all medical staff, patients and caregivers.
On the afternoon of May 13, the Hanoi Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control held an online briefing with local authorities, during which the committee urged for strengthening the prevention and control of the epidemic in concentrated isolation areas, industrial parks and export processing zones. In particular, localities must strengthen disease prevention and control at polling places, ensuring that the upcoming national elections will be safe and lawful.
On the same day, the Inspector of the Hanoi Department of Transport inspected the COVID-19 prevention and control work at wharfs and ferry terminals in the capital city. The Hanoi People’s Committee has ordered closing sports events, golf courses and training facilities as from 12:00 on May 13.
Hai Phong City has also stopped operating golf courses, hair salons and swimming pools in the northern port city, while asking local people to step up electronic medical declaration.
Quang Ngai Province has set up five medical check points at the gateways to and from the province from 5 pm on May 13. The Border Guard Command of Quang Ngai also activated 16 COVID-19 control points throughout the sea border areas in the province.
In order to limit the spread of the disease, some localities have suspended passenger transport to epidemic-affected localities according to the notice of the MoH. Quang Ngai Province temporarily suspends passenger transport from Quang Ngai to epidemic-affected provinces or cities from 5 pm on May 13. Inter-provincial passenger transport with a route through the provinces or cities with the epidemic when crossing Quang Ngai Province is not allowed to stop or park to pick up and drop off passengers, except in urgent cases.
Da Nang has also suspended passenger transport by car from Da Nang to provinces and cities with COVID-19 infection cases and vice versa as of 00:00 on May 14. Da Nang authorities are requiring local people to limit going out of their homes when not necessary and not to gather more than five people in public places, as well as outside of offices, schools and hospitals.
During the day, some localities adjusted the end of the school year to ensure students’ safety against COVID-19. Vinh Phuc Province required local educational institutions to adjust the teaching content to suit the remaining time of the school year, ensuring that grades 9 and 12 finish the programme before May 19, while letting students to take their tests online.
Facing the complicated developments of the COVID-19 epidemic, Bac Ninh Province has decided to suspend local students from going to school, while deploying online teaching on television, suspending year-end assessment and examination and carrying out the work of the high school graduation exam, and delaying the enrolment for the first grade and the entrance exam for the 6th and 10th grades.
The Hanoi Department of Education and Training has reported to the City People's Committee for permission to adjust the school year plan. Accordingly, all levels of preschool, elementary, middle school, high school, and continuing education have an early summer break, starting from May 15. The remaining tasks of the school year and the second semester exams will be conducted directly at educational institutions when the epidemic is completely controlled and students can return to school.
The department also proposed the Hanoi People's Committee to allow adjustment of the time of holding the entrance exam for the 10th grade in the 2021-2022 school year after the Ministry of Education and Training announced the adjustment of the high school graduation exam schedule in 2021.
On May 13, at Cau Treo International Border Gate (Ha Tinh Province), a delegation of the Command of Military Region 4 handed over to the Lao army medical supplies and VND1 billion, with the total support valued at VND2 billion, to assist the neighbouring nation in the fight against COVID-19.
On the same day, a delegation from Dong Thap University visited the Border Guard Command of Dong Thap Province and officers and soldiers on duty at the COVID-19 prevention posts on the border line. The delegation donated 10,000 medical masks and 100 litters of antiseptic solution produced by the university to the local COVID-19 control posts.
On May 13, Major General Pham Truong Son, Deputy Commander of the Air Defence - Air Force, together with the representatives from the Provincial Youth Union and the Military Command of Thua Thien Hue Province visited and gave gifts to the forces at four health checkpoints in Phong Dien District and Huong Thuy Town. The delegation donated VND15 million and necessities to each post.
