Flocks of people leaving Hà Nội on Friday, the last working day before the long public holiday. — VNA/VNS Photo Hoàng Hiếu

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Health has asked authorities of provinces and centrally-run cities nationwide to pay special attention to strengthening the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic and other dangerous epidemics before, during and after the national holidays of Hùng Kings Commemoration Day, Reunification Day and May Day from April 29 to May 3.

In its dispatch sent to the people’s committees of localities on April 28, the ministry requested them to effectively implement the Government's Resolution on the COVID-19 prevention and control programme, strictly perform the regular updating and assessment of pandemic levels, and apply appropriate pandemic prevention and control measures based on the pandemic level.

Localities across the country have been also required to strictly implement the plan for preventing and controlling infectious diseases in 2023, focusing on remote and isolated areas, areas with difficult access to health services, and ethnic minority areas, residential areas with high population mobility, and those with low vaccination rates.

They have been also ordered to sketch out specific plans to be ready for responding to any situations in their localities before, during and after the holidays.

The ministry emphasised the need to keep a close watch on the developments of the pandemic and dangerous diseases, at border gates, health facilities and the community, and strengthen the communications work to raise public awareness of and change residents’ behaviour in protecting the health of themselves, their families and the community.

Holiday-makers should also follow the health ministry’s requirements of wearing face masks and disinfecting regularly, especially on public transport, in train and bus stations, markets, at crowded places and events, it said.  

The ministry asked the people's committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to mobilise the participation of local authorities and departments, sectors and mass organisations to drastically review and encourage people, especially high-risk groups, to get injected with COVID-19 vaccines. — VNS