Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam. VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — The Government always gives the highest priority to allocating COVID-19 vaccines to HCM City, said Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam at an online meeting with municipal leaders on COVID-19 prevention and control on Wednesday. 

At the meeting, Đam, who is also Head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, highly valued efforts made by the municipal authorities in the fight against the pandemic, while urging the city to improve the work in the future. 

Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyễn Thành Phong said the city has recorded initial positive results in controlling the pandemic as the number of new cases is slowing. 

Up to now, nearly 63,000 patients have been given the all-clear from coronavirus, while over 32,600 are under treatment at health facilities in the city, Phong reported.

The city has worked with the Ministry of Health to operate four more intensive care units (ICU) with 1,750 beds while establishing five satellite emergency facilities supporting the city’s 115 Emergency Center. 

The city has established a centre to receive and provide essential goods for local residents. It also completed the disbursement of the first support package worth over VNĐ700 billion (US$31 million) for those affected by the pandemic. Another VNĐ900 billion-assistance package is being launched.  

He suggested that the Government allocate more vaccines for the city.

Phong also proposed that the Government and the Government's Special Working Group direct localities’ pandemic prevention and control forces at checkpoints to support and create favourable conditions for goods transportation. 

He said localities can arrange traffic police and inspectors at these checkpoints to promptly deal with problems and ensure smooth transportation of goods between provinces. 

Đam acknowledged the city's important adjustments in coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, while asking the municipal authorities to effectively and safely organise goods deliveries, and adjust regulations accordingly. 

He said the city needs to consider setting up transshipment delivery points at the district level so that shippers using motorbikes can move within the district. For deliveries between districts, goods can be transported by cars and trucks.

While waiting for general guidance, the city needs to pay attention to and provide credit support to those who are borrowing from banks for daily spending on food and other necessities, the deputy PM noted.

Regarding vaccine supply for the city, he affirmed that HCM City is always given the highest priority in vaccine access, requesting the municipal authorities to prepare for resumption of production and manufacturing once all residents are fully vaccinated. 

Apart from accelerating COVID-19 vaccination, the city needs to organise periodic testing for local residents, the Deputy PM said, adding that after the period of social distancing, HCM City should consider gradually re-opening sale points but still ensure safety.

He highly evaluated the municipal authorities’ efforts to provide social security packages for local people, while requesting the city to further speed up COVID-19 testing for drivers. — VNS