Illustrative image – Source: Internet
The resolution states that the World Health Organization, scientists and countries believe that the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be completely controlled before 2023; new strains of the virus may appear more dangerous, making the pandemic complicated and unpredictable. However, the coverage of vaccines and medicines for treatment help reduce the number of severe cases, deaths and reduce the incidence. Therefore, many countries have changed their pandemic response strategies from trying to completely extinguish the pandemic to living safely with the pandemic.
For Vietnam, some experiences have been initially drawn from the practice of pandemic prevention and control; the response capacity of the health system has been gradually improved; vaccination coverage, especially for high-risk groups, rapidly increasing in large cities, help us to be more proactive in pandemic prevention and control.
From the actual situation, the analysis opinions of scientists, experts, the opinions of localities and the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 prevention and control, the Government has determined the goals of the prevention and control to be still a key task to maximally protect the health and life of the People, restore and develop socio-economic, ensure security, social order and safety; redirecting the pandemic prevention and control strategy to “safely adapting, flexibly, and effectively controlling the COVID-19 pandemic”.
The main contents of the Resolution:
The Government promulgates the temporary Regulation “Safely adapting, flexibly, effectively controlling the COVID-19 pandemic” (hereinafter referred to as the Regulation) with the goal of maximum protection of people’s health and life; to minimize the cases, severe disease transfer, death due to COVID-19; socio-economic restoration and development, ensuring security, social order and safety; realize the dual goal of bringing the whole country to a new normal as soon as possible, striving in 2021.
The Government’s point of view is to ensure dual goals but put people’s health and life first, first and foremost; solutions for pandemic prevention and control must be based on science, suitable to the country’s reality and conditions; ensure that people are best protected against the pandemic, have access to medical services as soon as possible, right from the grassroots; but does not cause congestion for circulation and production.
Classification of 4 levels of the pandemic: Specifying specific guidelines on classification, assessment and determination of pandemic levels. Accordingly, the pandemic level is classified according to 4 levels:
Level 1: Low risk (new normal) corresponds to blue.
Level 2: Medium risk corresponds to yellow.
Level 3: High risk corresponds to orange.
Level 4: Very high risk corresponds to red.
Scope of assessment of pandemic level: Assessment from commune level. Encourage assessment from the smallest possible scale (below the commune level) to ensure flexibility and efficiency.
The regulations also specify three criteria for assessing the level of the pandemic, including: Rate of new cases in the community/population/time; vaccine coverage (note: high-risk age group, first dose rate, full dose rate); the capacity to accept and treat the routes (note clearly defining the acceptability, existing treatment and additional plans).
Measures applied according to 4 levels of the pandemic: Health measures including medical isolation, testing, collection, treatment, and vaccination follow the guidance of the Ministry of Health at all levels.
This provision is applied uniformly throughout the country. Based on the instructions of the Ministry of Health and other ministries and branches, the People’s Committees of the provinces and cities shall decide on appropriate administrative measures, including specific regulations and instructions on capacity, quantity participants in the production, business, service, culture, arts, events, etc., and can flexibly apply specific additional measures but not contrary to regulations Decisions of the Central Government, do not cause congestion of goods circulation, production and business, travel and daily life of the people. If the regulations and guidelines of the Central Government are not suitable or feasible, they shall promptly report them to the agency promulgating regulations and guidelines. Agencies promulgating regulations and guidelines must immediately direct to remove obstacles and study amendments to regulations and guidelines.
The Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee decided to isolate the region’s health (blockade the outbreak) as quickly and as narrowly as possible, and implement activities to ensure social security and access to medical services so that people can rest assured that they will comply with regulations on pandemic prevention and control.
Temporarily not applying the provisions of Clause 1, Article 1 of the Government’s Resolution 86/NQ-CP dated August 6, 2021 and Directive No. 15/CT-TTg dated March 27, 2020, Directive No. 16/CT-TTg dated March 31, 2020, Directive No. 19/CT-TTg dated April 24, 2020 by the Prime Minister, Decision No. 2686/QD-BCDQG dated May 31, 2021 by the Steering Committee National prevention and control of COVID-19 pandemic. In case it is necessary to apply pandemic prevention and control measures on a province-wide scale, higher than those specified in this Regulation, the chairperson of the provincial-level People’s Committee shall report to the Ministry of Health and the Prime Minister.
Reporter