Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh (Photo: VOV)

According to Deputy Prime Minister Minh, the fourth wave, caused mostly by the Delta variant, is taking a heavy toll on Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Hai Duong, Quang Ninh, and Hanoi in the north, and the Mekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh City in the south, Vietnam’s key economic hub. Drastic steps have been taken to contain the virus, and Vietnam is pursuing “vaccine diplomacy” to obtain as many vaccine doses as possible and roll out the biggest vaccination drive in its history. 

“The Vietnamese Government is grateful for the solidarity, hard work, and sharing of people inside and outside Vietnam, local authorities, the business community, political and social organizations, and frontline workers, including medical staff, soldiers, and police, as we fight this pandemic together. We extend our sincere thanks to other countries and international organization for their close cooperation and precious support for Vietnam in this battle,” said Minh.

The first session of the 15th National Assembly (Photo: VOV)

The Government is resolved to achieve its dual goal of economic development and pandemic containment, with the latter being given the higher priority, according to Deputy Prime Minister Minh. He noted some primary solutions, “We are strictly observing safety precautions. Vaccination and public awareness of COVID-19 prevention and control measures are the key to ending the pandemic. We have developed a variety of scenarios, particularly for when the coronavirus is transmitted to industrial parks and densely populated urban areas. First and foremost, we are doubling our efforts to stamp out the virus in Ho Chi Minh city and several other severely affected localities.”

The report urged that sufficient personnel and facilities be mobilized for a nationwide vaccination campaign to achieve herd immunity in the first half of 2022.