On the morning of August 18, Provincial Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control held an online meeting with nine districts, towns, and cities to evaluate and discuss anti-pandemic solutions. The meeting was chaired by Vo Van Minh, Chairman of Provincial People's Committee, Deputy Head of Provincial Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control; Associate Professor - Doctor of Medicine, Doctor Nguyen Lan Hieu, Director of Hanoi Medical University Hospital; Duong Chi Nam, Deputy Director of Department of Health Environmental Management, Ministry of Health.
Tasks that must be done immediately
Information at the meeting showed that the second testing campaign in Thuan An city and Tan Uyen town had high rates of F0 cases, especially in Thuan An city. Based on data of August 12th and focusing on Thuan An city, Tan Uyen town, Duong Chi Nam said: Through actual examination, the cause of high infection rate in Thuan An city and Tan Uyen Town was that the supervision of Directive 16's implementation was not really drastic, and there were not enough supervisory forces, not ensuring the social distancing order, especially at lodging houses for workers.
Moreover, the density of lodging houses in Thuan An city is very crowded, rooms are close together in narrow areas, some lodging houses use common toilets, which makes it easily for cross infection. The first testing campaign was still carried out slowly, it took a long time to launch to the second testing. Nam commented: “Thuan An city is close to Thu Duc city, District 12 (Ho Chi Minh City), hence it has been infected very deeply and widely. We need to be patient, determined and use all measures, including very strong measures to lock down the entire Thuan An city, Tan Uyen town".
Nam suggested that the curfew should be applied to these two localities, and people from other districts, towns and cities should not come to these two localities. Therefore, the province considers requiring people going to work, entering and leaving these two localities to have documents confirmed by their agencies or negative test certificate within 72 hours. To lock down red zones. No one goes in or out. To supply food directly, sell essential foods directly at red zones, provide food to each room.
Particularly in Thuan An city, people are required not to leave their home and suspend all activities in the area within 1-2 weeks, will receive two-day in advance notice so that people can actively arrange their errands, go to the market to buy necessities. Only people, who are in charge of pandemic prevention, emergency, medical examination and treatment, serving people's essential needs (postage, food distribution, electricity, water supply, information services, telecommunications, public workers...), are allowed to go out.
Referring to the testing method, Duong Chi Nam said: the province will divide into three testing phases: Phase 1 in high-risk and very high-risk areas (yellow zones, red zones), performing pooled three-sample rapid testing in the whole area. In low-risk areas, in green zones, RT-PCR tests pooling 10 samples or grouping by households will be conducted. Phase 2 in a very high-risk areas (red zones) will include three-pooling rapid test and immediately retested by single rapid test. In yellow zones, pooled RT-PCR tests will be performed according to household samples. In low-risk areas, in green zones, pooled RT-PCR tests for 10 samples or grouping by households will be conducted. Phase 3 will include pooled RT-PCR tests for 10 samples or household grouping. However, the testing plan will be adjusted appropriately according to the actual situation of each locality.
To predict the situation, effectively isolate F0s
At the meeting, Vo Van Minh said: At present, the province and localities have to speed up mass testing many times to detect new outbreaks, soon isolate F0s. Frequency and method of testing is 3 days/1 test for Thuan An city, Tan Uyen town, testing 3 times in a row on the principle of non-stop, no delay.
Chairman Vo Van Minh noted that based on test results, localities will be divided into areas including: Very high-risk areas (red zones), high-risk areas (yellow zones), low-risk areas (green zones). On the first day of rapid test, the plan will focus on high-risk areas (yellow zones) to immediately estimate the average incidence in the whole area of Thuan An City, Tan Uyen Town, to devise immediate solutions to three scenarios. If the average incidence is at 2% or less, the preferred solution is to put F0s in concentrated isolation. If the average incidence is at the threshold of 2% - 4%, put F0s of green and yellow zones in concentrated isolation so that these areas can be cleaned up soon. In case the average incidence is above 4%-8% or higher, put F0s of green zones in concentrated isolation. Yellow zones, red zones need to be tightly blockaded, home isolation will be implemented for all people.
If there are too many F0s, all levels and branches in the province set up a quick response team to coordinate the monitoring and treatment of F0s at home, and transfer to hospitals when symptoms develop moderately or severely. Localities need to prepare ambulances, oxygen tanks, and medical staff in each ward, commune and area. Make a list of at-home F0s with name, age, address, mobile phone number, phone number of family members, medical history, especially those who are obese, have underlying diseases, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes according to the list prescribed by the Ministry of Health. To organize a network of collaborators, set up a hotline for F0s to call when they cannot contact collaborators; at the same time, hang a warning notice in front of F0s' houses.
Minh also demanded Department of Health to immediately develop protocols of home care for F0s. In order to ensure that F0s can self-monitor their health at home and report to medical staff every day, there must be instructions on some common over-the-counter medicines that F0s can use themselves safely at home for symptomatic treatment and initial treatment. To provide free common medicines for F0s to use at home (Multivitamin, vitamin C, anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral tablets); organize medical staff to give health advice and to transfer symptomatic patients to hospitals. The health branch needs to carry out home sampling for SARS-CoV-2 testing to end the isolation. Functional branches and localities need to assure social security order and provide food for families having F0s. Members of households having home-quarantined F0s must ensure preventative measures according to regulations; provide enough food for F0s and family members.
Ministry of Health has allocated 250.00 Astra Zeneca doses of vaccine and 15,210 Pfizer doses to Binh Duong. The province will mobilize all resources to give injections as soon as possible, and is expected to complete the plan within 3 days under the direction of Provincial Party Standing Committee. In this phase, vaccines will be prioritized to high-risk areas, groups according to Resolution 21 of the Government, and the expanded workforce of enterprises applying "three-on-spot".
Reported by Kim Ha - Translated by Ngoc Huynh
