COVID-19 patients are being treated in a field hospital in Việt Trì City, Phú Thọ Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has called for further stepping up COVID-19 prevention measures as the number of new cases continues to rise nationwide over the past days.

In the official dispatch released by the Government Office on Sunday, the Government leader requested the Steering Committees for COVID-19 Prevention and Control of provinces and Centrally-run cities to direct the strict implementation of the Government’s Resolution 128/NQ-CP dated October 11, 2021 on safe adaptation, flexible and effective control of the COVID-19 pandemic; guide steering committees for COVID-19 prevention and control at all levels to prepare plans and scenarios for pandemic prevention and control in the locality.

Provinces and cities should improve the capacity of their health systems, especially at the grassroots level, get ready to immediately establish mobile medical stations in case of outbreaks, and step up vaccination drives.

The Ministry of Health was told to allocate the received vaccines, and along with the Ministry of Defence must to support localities to inject doses as quickly as possible.

The PM also asked to strengthen inspections over pandemic prevention and control at agencies, units, organisations and enterprises, especially at hospitals and production facilities, markets, supermarkets, railway stations, airports and bus stations.

People's Committees of provinces and Centrally-run cities were required to continue to review and strictly implement policies to support people and enterprises affected by the pandemic.

At an online meeting with the southwestern and the Central Highlands provinces on COVID-19 prevention and control on Friday, Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam asked the Ministry of Health to urgently allocate vaccines and organise vaccination drives in these regions, ensuring all adults will be injected first vaccine dose within five days.

He said people who received first dose of vaccine should be inoculated with second doses quickly and children and young people aged 12 to 17 years should also be vaccinated.

The Ministry of Health needs to have specific guides and ensure the source of drugs for early treatment of F0 cases to minimise the severe illness and fatalities. — VNS