A medical worker gives COVID-19 vaccination to residents in Nghĩa Đô Ward, Cầu Giấy District in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Vũ Sinh

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội has a plan to prepare 8,000 beds for COVID-19 patients in three different conditions including moderate, serious and critical.

The plan was signed by Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Chu Ngọc Anh on Sunday.

To implement the plan, Anh asked for the co-operation of the whole political system, departments, sectors and concerned organisations.

The plan will be implemented in three phases. The first phase is to prepare 2,000 beds in the event the city has 10,000 patients.

The second phase will be to prepare an additional 4,000 beds in the event the city reaches 20,000 infections.

The last phase will be to prepare 8,000 beds in the event the city has 40,000 COVID-19 cases.

The patients are divided based on the Ministry of Health’s guidance outlined in Decision No 3416/QĐ-BYT issued on July 14 this year.

Social distancing

Hà Nội on Monday started its second 15-day social distancing period based on the decision of the Hà Nội People’s Committee.

Deputy secretary of the Hà Nội Party Committee Nguyễn Văn Phong said that the task set out for the 15 days of continued social distancing was to implement preventive measures more drastically.

The committee’s decision to extend the social distancing period was not a passive measure but a part of careful preparations, he said.

Earlier, on August 4, Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam, head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, emphasised that Hà Nội must get ready for any developments.

“Hà Nội was implementing social distancing, but must also prepare for a worse situation so as not to be passive, surprised or embarrassed,” he said.

Like other localities implementing social distancing, Hà Nội in the next 15 days must adhere to the principle of "clear - strict - solid - effective" in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

Deputy PM Đam asked the capital city in the coming days to clearly set goals, day-to-day work and duties of the people to comply with pandemic prevention and control measures. Management organisations must be stronger, have a system to hear and respond to people's feedback about the pandemic prevention work.

The extension of the social distancing period in Hà Nội has not only received the consent of the people of the capital but has also been agreed upon by epidemiologists.

Associate professor Trần Đắc Phu, former director of the Department of Preventive Medicine under the Ministry of Health and senior advisor of the Centre for Emergency Response to Public Health Events, said, “During the recent social distancing period, Hà Nội has been very strict and aggressive.

"Hà Nội has also done well to create self-managing groups to protect small hamlets and alleys.

“The city’s decision to continue social distance for another 15 days is correct and necessary to localise, quarantine and handle the outbreak; strengthening and improving the capacity of the health sector, taking the initiative in a comprehensive way in pandemic prevention and control," he said. — VNS