A propagating painting to repel the COVID-19 pandemic appeared on many streets of the city center. Photo by Thanh Tung.
On February 4, 2020, the Department issued a Decision on the establishment of the Steering Committee for COVID-19 pandemic prevention, led by the Director of the Department, vice-led by the Deputy Directors. Heads of divisions and units of the Department are members. The units of the Department have developed plans and promptly, drastically implemented measures to cope with the spread of COVID-19 pandemics at agencies and units in accordance with the recommendations and guidance of the Ministry of Health, coordinated with specialized units to spray disinfectants at the office of the agency, and purchase and distribute necessary equipment free of charge (hand sanitizers, face masks, standard temperature meters, etc.) to carry out pandemic prevention.
Immediately after the outbreak at Bach Mai hospital, implementing the instructions of the Prime Minister and Chairman of the City People’s Committee, the Department’s Steering Committee has requested units to identify cadres, civil servants and employees in the entire agency related to Bach Mai Hospital and announced publicly the number of people subject to medical isolation at home according to regulations. Accordingly, the Department had 33 cadres in home isolation. To date, quarantine and normal health have expired. The whole Department organizes a temperature check before entering the office. Civil servants, public employees and employees, during working time, must wear masks to prevent the spread of pandemics in accordance with regulations of the health sector.
The Department’s Trade Union has launched a donation to support COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control among all cadres, civil servants, employees, workers, and union members of agencies and units under the Department with the total amount of VND 70 million. The Department’s Youth Union has coordinated in propaganda for the implementation of pandemic prevention, delivered thousands of free masks to civil servants, public employees and workers in the whole industry; and created clips about COVID-19 prevention.
In order to effectively implement the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Culture and Sports has actively grasped and controlled the situation, developed plans to organize cultural activities, sports and festivals, suspend activities chaired by the Department, competition and training teams in countries, provinces, and cities with the pandemic; regularly captured information and managed the team of coaches and athletes (especially coaches, competition athletes or those on training from abroad, returning provinces and cities). The Department has also propagated anti-pandemic measures to all cadres, civil servants, public employees, trainers and athletes and directed specialized departments to stop licensing cultural and sports events. For units that have been licensed, the Department has issued suspension requests. Welcoming visitors at relics and scenic spots such as Temple of Literature Cultural and Scientific Center, Hoa Lo Relic Area, Ngoc Son Temple, Huong pagoda, etc.
Implementing the Directive No. 16 of the Prime Minister and the Directive No. 05 issued by the Chairman of the City People’s Committee, the Department of Culture and Sports issued instructions to the subordinate departments and units to implement the Directive which ensures seriousness and compliance with requirements: Assigning 50% of cadres and civil servants in the units to work at the office and the rest to work online at home, ensuring regular contact to meet the work schedule. Offices and one-stop units must arrange staff on duy to meet citizens and handle online administrative procedures and receive administrative procedures at the office. Up to now, there are 88 administrative procedures resolved, consisting of 46 third-level ones and 42 fourth-level ones, receiving and resolving 298 applications of administrative procedures in the industry.
Enhancing the decoration and visual propaganda of COVID-19 pandemic prevention in 2-sided panel clusters. Photo by Thanh Tung
For non-business units under the Department, it is required to ensure regular guards and leaders on duty. Officials and employees participating in activities to welcome visitors are arranged to rest and work at home. Administrative ones are arranged on duty in rotation. All cadres, civil servants and employees must seriously perform the social distancing and encourage their relatives and families to do the same and not to speculate food and cause confusion among the public. Cases subject to home isolation are required to provide regular reporting on their health status to the unit leaders and medical reporting to local health authorities. Security teams are on duty 24/24 to ensure security and preserve the agency’s assets.
Following the direction of the Central Government, the City People’s Committee and the Department have asked localities to stop all festivals, cultural and sports activities which gather people to prevent and combat acute respiratory infections. From January 31 up to now, the whole city has over 900 unorganized festivals. In order to improve the effectiveness of the campaign “All people unite to build a cultural life” in the city area, the Department has focused on guiding localities to build plans and implement the Campaign at grassroots; organized the evaluation, comment and recognition of cultural titles to ensure the correct order and regulations suitable to the actual situation, associated with the key task of disease prevention; widely propagated the content of the movement to districts, towns, communes, wards and towns; selection criteria for building cultural families, cultural residential areas suitable to concretize implementation, contributing to disease prevention and control. Advising the Steering Committee of the Movement “All people unite to build cultural life”, the city issued the Document No. 674/CV-BCD to implement a civilized lifestyle in weddings and funerals in the prevention and control of acute respiratory infections. Up to now, most localities have implemented well this content. Typically, in Bac Tu Liem district, Dong Anh district, Dan Phuong district, and Hoai Duc district, most funerals are organized neatly in a day, cremating the deceased and carrying out medical supervision, prevention and control of pandemics according to regulations. Weddings have been organized without parties. Some are just announced or stopped.
Regarding propaganda, 100% of localities and units performed well propaganda about pandemic prevention and control; strictly implemented the requests of the Government, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the City People’s Committee, especially the Directive No.16 of the Prime Minister, the Directive No.31 of the City Party Committee and Directive No. 05 of the City People’s Committee with various forms such as Propaganda on the radio; Release of leaflets; hanging banners, panels and slogans on city center roads, at historical sites and scenic spots. There are also many various and diverse forms of propaganda. Through communication and advocacy work, officials, civil servants, and the majority of people have gradually raised their sense of self and community protection according to the law, the guidance of the National Steering Committee, the Ministry of Health and local authorities on the COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control.
To enhance the effectiveness of pandemic prevention and control, the Department’s inspection team organized 09 inspection sessions at units under the Department, 05 inspections locally, including 02 checks at Huong Pagoda, one check at Va Temple, Son Tay, one in Ba Vi District, one in Thanh Oai. Along with that, there are hundreds of inspections and supervisions of the steering committees of districts and towns. After the press and public opinion reflected the gathering of people in Tay Ho Palace on the 1st day of the third month in the lunar calendar, the Department of Culture and Sports requested the Department Inspector and specialized teams to coordinate with the People’s Committee of Tay Ho district to be present at the palace to encourage and persuade people, resolutely handle non-compliance cases, and at the same time immediately implement preventive measures. The District People’s Committee assigned the district police to coordinate with the ward police to set up 04 checkpoints at the entrance to the Palace, and the Department also set up a team to check and supervise, ensuring no crowds gathered.
In the coming time, the Department will continue to promote the propaganda on prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic in various forms more frequently and drastically; enhance the role and responsibilities of the Party committees and leaders of units in the COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control; continue to thoroughly request the entire cadres, civil servants and employees in the whole industry to well follow the Directive No. 15/CT-TTg and the Directive No.16/CT -TTg of the Prime Minister, the Directive No.31 of the City Party Committee, the Directive No.05 of the Chairman of the City People’s Committee, and continue to ensure the tasks on schedule and quality of work; promote propaganda and guidance on how to work online for cadres and civil servants to ensure good completion of assigned tasks without interruption or delay; review, monitor and supervise individuals related to Bach Mai Hospital and Ha Loi village, Me Linh commune, Me Linh district to seriously implement quarantine and medical declaration according to regulations of the Ministry of Health; and promote the coordination of inspection and supervision of the implementation of the direction of the Government and the City People’s Committee on COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control at festivals, monuments, and cultural and sports events.
Thanh Mai