Senior Lieutenant General Trần Đơn, Deputy Defence Minister speaks at a meeting of the ministry’s Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on Friday. VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI — Defence agencies, military units and all soldiers should strictly comply with government resolutions and directives take drastic measures to fight COVID-19.

The request was made by Senior Lieutenant General Trần Đơn, Deputy Defence Minister and Head of the ministry’s Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

He was speaking during a meeting of the committee held on Friday to introduce urgent measures in response to the pandemic’s development.

He asked all military units to review the number of people who have visited Đà Nẵng from July 1 or places with high risk of infections and requested them to fill in health declarations.

Based on the risk, the units would implement prevention and control measures while effectively carrying out military and defence missions.

According to Military Medicine Department under the Ministry of National Defence, the pandemic situation in the world is still complicated with an average of more than 200,000 new infections per day.

In Việt Nam, there have been 93 new infection cases in the community since July 25, bringing the total number of infected people to 509.

It was necessary to have resolute solutions, joint efforts and responsibility in prevention, tracking the source, quarantine and treatment to protect the health of soldiers and people while ensuring the country’s socio-economic development at the same time.

Military units stationed in Đà Nẵng City should exercise social distancing in line with Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc ’s Directive 16 which required people to stay at home unless for justified reasons and all non-essential businesses to close down.

Other units at pandemic-hit areas were asked to strictly embrace instructions and directions of the steering committee while preparing equipment and personnel to be ready in any circumstances.

To prevent the spread of the disease in military units, they should have their body temperature checked while spraying disinfectants on vehicles, wearing face masks, and detecting and quarantining infected cases in a timely manner.

The Border Guards were requested to work closely with localities to manage border gates and prevent illegal entry and criminal activities, maintaining social and security order in border regions.

Army quarantine areas should be ready to receive people in accordance with State regulations. Attention should be paid to prevent cross-transmission in these areas as well making sure staff on duty are protected.

Military medical establishment should cooperate with international partners, boost research on vaccines, preventive medicine. It was necessary to assure that there’s enough equipment for the pandemic prevention and control work.

Agencies and units in the army should review their disease containment work and push up production to ensure troops’ health. — VNS