(HBO) – The Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control of Hoa Binh on December 1 held a virtual conference to discuss safe and flexible adaptation to and effective control of COVID-19 in the province. Ngo Van Tuan, member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, head of the provincial Delegation of National Assembly deputies, and head of the Hoa Binh Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control chaired the event. The conference drew the attention of leaders and members of the Steering Committees on COVID-19 Prevention and Control at districts, city, communes and townships as well as community-based COVID-19 prevention and control groups.

According to Director of the provincial Health Department Bui Thu Hang, who is deputy head of the provincial Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control, so far, the province has recorded 451 COVID-19 cases. Up to 97.48 percent of local adults have received the first COVID-19 vaccine shots, while 73.88 percent have been fully vaccinated. The province is speeding up its vaccination campaign for children aged 12 - 17 years old, with 57 percent of the children have received the first vaccine dose.

She said that in the coming time, the health sector will continue to develop a community screening plan to detect potential outbreaks, focusing resources on tracing the movements of COVID-19 patients to ensure that the tracking speed is faster than the virus's transmission cycle. The community-based COVID-19 prevention and control groups and health care stations in villages will be in charge of managing and monitoring people returning from pandemic-hit areas and those who are under home quarantine.

Participants at the conference proposed that the provincial health care sector give specific instructions on home quarantine for F1s and the sorting and collection of domestic waste of households with member(s) being F1. They asked for guidelines for treating COVID-19 patients at home when the pandemic situation becomes tense, and greater attention to disadvantaged villages and communes amid the complicated developments of the pandemic.

Concluding the conference, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Tuan underlined that amid the  complicated developments of COVID-19, the health sector should continue to expand the vaccine coverage with absolute safety. It is necessary to be prepared for any circumstance, and make clear the responsibility and important role of local authorities in villages, communes and districts.

He asked the health care sector to promptly issue a handbook guiding the treatment and quarantine of COVID-19 patients, things that patients and F1s need to do and duties of local authorities in each level of the pandemic. Regarding patient treatment and home quarantine for F1s, the provincial leader said that districts have the authority to decide on whether to allow F1s to undergo quarantine at home or in concentrated facilities as long as they can ensure the safety of both those who are infected and the community. In addition, it is necessary to maintain production and business activities, ensuring the smooth circulation of goods as well as social welfare, especially during the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) festival./.