PM Pham Minh Chinh chairs the online meeting with leaders of eight southern localities (Photo: VNA)

The eight localities - Ho Chi Minh City , Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Long An, Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh, Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Tien Giang provinces – have been experiencing complicated pandemic developments.

According to the Ministry of Health, Vietnam has so far recorded 19,570 infections, including over 16,000 found in the current fourth outbreak. Particularly, the pandemic is spreading rapidly in HCM City with a large number of cases and hot spots, many have yet to defince infection sources.

At the meeting, PM Chinh asked leaders of ministries, sectors and localities to give proposals on mechanisms, personnel and equipment to control the pandemic and prevent it from spreading widely and affecting people’s health and the country’s socio-economic development.

Leaders of localities spoke highly of the solutions and guidance given recently by the Government, ministries and sectors in COVID-19 prevention and control, especially in the flexible arrangement of priorities in the pandemic fight and socio-economic development as well as the implementation of “three-on-spot solution” (having meals, resting and working on the spot) in businesses and industrial parks.

PM Chinh stressed the Government has directed ministries and sectors to send more forces to HCM City and some southern localities, while requesting the health sector, military, public security forces and COVID-19-free localities to give a helping hand to localities if necessary.

The government leader affirmed that the orientations, measures and methods being applied in COVID-19 prevention and control are on the right track.

He underlined the need for all people to continue to implement the “5K message,” along with vaccination and application of technology to control the pandemic.