Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc (standing) gives a speech at the meeting. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc called for the COVID-19 vaccination programme to be organised quickly when he chaired the Government’s meeting with the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on Wednesday.

A Ministry of Health (MoH) report said that after eight days of social distancing in the northern province of Hải Dương, which is the epicentre of the current third infection wave in the country, logging over 600 patients since January 27, the number of new cases per day has shown signs of decreasing with an average of nine cases per day. Most of the patients had been quarantined previously.

Speaking at the meeting, PM Phúc highly appreciated provinces’ and cities’ efforts to control the pandemic and said vaccines were key to reducing the number of COVID-19 cases across the world.

The PM also noted that even though there were vaccines, it was still necessary to pay attention to disease prevention and treatment.

PM Phúc also praised Hải Dương, Hải Phòng, HCM City, Hà Nội and Quảng Ninh as the localities that have strictly dealt with intentional violations of anti-pandemic regulations.

The MoH has also seriously implemented the request of the Politburo and the PM to have vaccines ready in the shortest time possible. More than 100,000 doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Việt Nam Wednesday morning.

The PM asked the National Steering Committee and authorities at all levels to focus on providing the vaccines with strong, timely and drastic measures.

"Our strategy is that 100 million people are vaccinated," said Phúc.

He stated that without enough vaccines for 100 million people at once, there must be a priority order, which should be medical staff at treatment and testing facilities, border guards, the army and the police in quarantine zones, voluntary pandemic prevention and control forces and other groups based on the Government’s resolutions.

"A very important principle is that those with high risk first, low risk later, areas with outbreaks first, and then areas without the pandemic," the PM said.

PM Phúc also mentioned the task of rescuing goods that may spoil like farm produce in Hải Phòng City, Quảng Ninh and Hải Dương provinces, adding that it was necessary to continue goods circulation and to support product consumption.

He assigned the Ministry of Industry and Trade to work with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the MoH to ensure agricultural products in pandemic zones are consumed.

The PM also asked to continue to strictly handle violations and make more efforts in the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic so that no more localities face pandemic outbreaks. — VNS