* Students continue to be off school to prevent COVID - 19
That was the direction of Nguyen Hoang Thao, Deputy Secretary of Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of Provincial People's Committee, at a meeting of provincial Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on Feb 15th. The meeting had the participation of Nguyen Loc Ha, Member of Provincial Party Standing Committee, Vice Chairman of Provincial People's Committee. The meeting was transmitted online with Steering Committees for Disease Prevention Control in Thuan An City and Phu Giao district.
Nguyen Hoang Thao, Deputy Secretary of Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of Provincial People's Committee, chaired the meeting on the morning of Feb 15th.
As of Feb 15th, Binh Duong had 6 cases of COVID-19 infection in the community (Patient 1801, Patient 1843, Patient 1886, Patient 1887, Patient 1957, and Patient 1980). Binh Duong province has not recorded any new cases of COVID-19 in 8 days.
Regarding outbreaks in Phu Giao district, Thu Dau Mot city and Thuan An city, F1 and F2 cases have been monitored, detected, quarantined, and their test results were both negative and monitored. Blockade area in Phu Hoa ward was lifted from 11.00 pm on Feb 9th, and EHOME 4 residential area (Thuan An city) narrowed the blockade on the night of Feb 11th.
Regarding risk cases from Hai Duong, Quang Ninh and Ho Chi Minh City, 44 cases returned were sampled, the result was 43 cases negative, 1 case positive (Patient 1801). Besides, the province discovered 7 F1 cases related to the Ho Chi Minh City outbreak. All detected F1 cases are subject to concentrated quarantine, sampling, testing, and negative for COVID-19. As for community screening tests, the provincial health authority collected 650 gross samples with 2,957 people sampled. All pooled samples were negative for COVID-19 infecton.
Nguyen Hong Chuong, Director of provicial Department of Health, said: Currently, the outbreaks in Binh Duong have been controlled, yet epidemic situation in the world and Vietnam is still developing very complicatedly. After the Lunar New Year, Binh Duong has many hidden risks, that is, people, workers, and students return to Binh Duong to work and study from epidemic provinces, such as Hai Duong, Quang Ninh, Gia Lai, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City. In particular, persons who enter illegally, public long-haul bus trips transport passengers, goods, delivery staff.
At the meeting, representatives of governmental branches and localities said they continued to strictly implement measures to prevent and control COVID-19 pandemic. Representative of provincial Department of Education and Training recommended that preschool and primary students continue to leave school until the end of February to stabilize the situation. For middle and high school students, they are scheduled to go back to school on Feb 22nd.
Concluding the meeting, Mr. Nguyen acknowledged and praised the tireless working spirit of functional forces in the province to basically win the epidemic; especially the spirit of mutual affection, joining hands to prevent and control the pandemic from businesses, philanthropists and the community. As a result, up to now, Binh Duong has well controlled the pandemic, all tests results of F1, F2 cases, and community tests are negative for COVID-19. The quarantine, prevention and fighting against the pandemic, and communication have been implemented drastically by localities.
In Phu Giao district, the authorities fined cases of not wearing face mask totally 89 million VND. This is a strong and determined way that municipalities and branches need to take Phu Giao as an example.
The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Chairman of Provincial People's Committee stressed that at beginning of the year, the province had many festive activities, hence it was necessary to strictly comply with the Prime Minister's Directive 15 at pagodas and temples. He also agreed with the education and training sector's proposals on the time for preschool children and students at all levels to return school.
* On the same day, Nguyen Van Phong, Deputy Director of provincial Department of Education and Training, said: On Feb 15th, Nguyen Thi Nhat Hang, Director of provincial Department of Education and Training, signed Document No. 247 to propose that Provincial People's Committee allowed children and students to be off school to prevent control COVID-19.
Accordingly, based on the actual situation of the pandemic in the country, neighboring provinces, cities, and areas in Binh Duong province until Feb 15th 2021, to ensure safety and health of teachers, students, based on the practical situation of students in schools, and to control the pandemic in the province, provincial Department of Education and Training proposed that Provincial People's Committee allowed children, students of preschool, primary schools in the province to be off school until the end of Feb 28th 2021 and go back to school from Mar 1st 2021. Students of junior high schools, high schools, vocational centers, and continuing education centers (including private schools), foreign language and informatics centers in the province are off school until the end of Feb 21st 2021 and go back to school from Feb 22nd 2021.
During this off-school time, educational institutions organize online learning classes to ensure the 2020-2021 school year plan.
Reported by Kim Ha, Chi Thanh - Translated by Ngoc Huynh
