Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam speaks at the meeting. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - The serious observance of the health ministry’s 5K message would help stopthe local transmission of COVID-19 in Vietnam, heard a meeting in Hanoi on May 10.
The 5K messagecomprises khau trang (face masks), khu khuan (disinfection), khoang cach (distancing),khong tu tap (no gatherings), and khai bao y te (health declarations).
Speaking at themeeting of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control,Associate Professor Dr Tran Dac Phu, senior advisor at the Public HealthEmergency Operations Centre, pointed out four current major pandemic clusters in thecountry - central Da Nang city, northern Yen Bai province, and the K Hospital andthe National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, both in Hanoi, plus a new hotspotin the northern province of Hai Duong.
COVID-19 caseshave been reported in 26 cities and provinces, with cases of local transmissionstanding at 442, he told the meeting.
Health MinisterNguyen Thanh Long also warned that Vietnam is on high alert as the coronaviruscan spread quickly.
Experts said this fourthwave of COVID-19, which has hit the country since April 27, is more complexthan previous waves due to new coronavirus variants, most notably the onebelieved to be behind the devastating surge in cases in India.
It has spread simultaneouslyto many localities and medical facilities, the minister said, stressing theneed to view testing as a key, urgent task at this time.
Hospitals withmore than 300 beds must house a real-time PCR testing laboratory, he requested.
At the meeting of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control (Photo: VNA)At the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, head of the committee, urged localities thatare yet to report any COVID-19 cases to remain vigilant and maintain closesupervision.
Vietnam will notcomplete mass vaccinations by the year’ end, according to the Deputy PM, so it is necessaryto strictly follow the 5K message, especially mask wearing.
He ordered acloser watch on border areas and people under quarantine and to quickly detectcases through contact tracing as well as regular screen testing.
Dam called onpeople to raise their sense of responsibility in the pandemic fight, for thesake of the country and the community./.
VNA
