Directive No. 24/CT-BYT on prevention and control of COVID-19 pandemic

DIRECTIVE

On strengthening measures on prevention and control
of COVID-19 pandemic

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Currently, the Covid-19 pandemic remains complicated. The pandemic broke out again during winter-spring in many parts of the world. Many countries, especially in the European region, had to re-establish the application of pandemic prevention and control measures and practice social distancing. The outbreaks in the country have been under control, and it has been 80 days since the last case was reported from community. However, the case of entry into Vietnam with positive test results for SARS CoV-2 have been continuously recorded in recent times, so the outbreak risk still remains, especially if pandemic prevention and control measures are not strictly implemented.

In the coming time, there will be many activities, important political events in the country, and the pandemic prevention and control are required to be in a strict state with the highest level of safety. In order to strengthen the strict implementation of pandemic prevention and control measures without affecting people s health and socio-economic development, the Minister of Health hereby directs:

1. Directors of Departments of Health of provinces and centrally-run cities, health units of sectors, heads of unit affiliated to the Ministry shall continue directing and organizing the strict implementation of the Prime Minister’s directions in the Official Telegram No. 1300/CD-TTg dated September 24, 2020, on the prevention and control of COVID-19 pandemic; continue providing advice for provincial and municipal party committees, People’s Councils and People’s Committees of provinces and cities to take pandemic prevention and control measures and direct the effective implementation of pandemic prevention and control measures according to directions of the National Steering Committee, the Ministry of Health and relevant ministries and sectors.

2. Heads of healthcare agencies and units shall be responsible for the pandemic prevention and control in their units and uphold the sense of responsibility, organize the strict implementation in accordance with instructions and guidance on COVID-19 prevention and control measures; request cadres, civil servants, public employees and workers in their agencies and units to strictly implement measures on prevention and control of the pandemic; organize the implementation of pandemic prevention and control measures in order to ensure safety when organizing events, crowded activities, production and business operations, etc.

3. With regard to medical examination and treatment establishments

- To continue the assessment according to the Hospital Criteria for the safety of COVID-19 pandemic and acute respiratory infection prevention attached to the Decision No. 3088/QD-BYT dated July 16, 2020 of the Ministry of Health; based on that ground, to review unsafe issues and potential risks that have been discovered, develop remedial plans and intervention solutions in order to strengthen the hospitals’ capacity to prevent and control the pandemic, and update the criteria for the safety of COVID-19 pandemic prevention for medical examination and treatment establishments according to the Ministry of Health’s instructions on the map of safe living with COVID-19 (www.antoancovid.vn).

- To maintain the strict implementation of procedures on screening, classification, and separation; to ensure the hospital infection control, prevent the cross infection in hospitals, especially in departments where patients with severe conditions are treated; continue ensuring the waste management and environmental hygiene, etc.

- To continue expanding the subject of testing, including suspected cases and patients being treated in departments for those in severe conditions and health staff; to increase training in testing, treatment and use of ventilator, dialysis equipment and other equipment for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

- To promote the application of information technology in counseling, providing medical examination and treatment; to continue requesting health staff, patients, and their family members who come for visiting and taking care of them to install and turn on the tracing and health declaration applications, for those who use smart phones; to separate and give priority to patients those who had installed and turned on the tracing application. To widely apply information technology in registration for medical examination and treatment, health counseling and remote medical examination.

- To promote the inspection and surveillance of COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control in departments, divisions and units of a hospital.

- To update the treatment regimen, reserve drugs and equipment for the receipt and treatment of COVID-19 patients; to prepare available treatment establishments in case any COVID-19 case is reported in the locality and lockdown is applied to local hospitals.

4. With regard to preventive medicine units

- To strictly implement procedures on management of entry and medical quarantine at border gates; to request people on entry to make health declaration; to supervise and detect early suspected cases; to organize the classification of cases subject to quarantine as prescribed at border gates; to monitor and update health conditions of people on entry on a daily basis during the quarantine and medical surveillance period. To strictly review and examine documents of confirmation of negative with SARS-CoV-2, for experts entering Vietnam from other countries.

- To strengthen the supervision and early detect suspected cases in community; to promptly localize, quarantine and lock down the pandemic foci in order to prevent the pandemic from spreading and transmitting in community; at the same time, to carry out medical activities in the quarantine area.

- To prepare the plan of testing on wide scale upon request for pandemic prevention and control; to organize the training, strengthen teams of taking samples, to increase the capacity of supervising and testing, quick responding when any COVID-19 case is reported.

5. With regard to Sub-departments of Food Hygiene and Safety or agencies and units assigned to carry out state management of food hygiene and safety by People s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities

- To develop plans on inspection, examination and supervision of imported food business establishments.

- To coordinate in taking samples from imported foods in areas to determine and evaluate the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

6. With regard to Departments of Health of provinces and centrally-run cities

- To advise local authorities to strengthen directing the strict implementation of pandemic prevention and control measures in the province and city; to continue advising to mobilize investment in resources, implementing the four on-the-spot motto when the pandemic occurs in the area.

- To continue directing the close management, monitoring and supervision of people on entry; to carry out tests for people on entry as prescribed, to prevent infection in quarantine establishments and community, especially for the case of quarantine in accommodation establishments, hotels or quarantine units other than those of military. To strictly handle those who make untruthful health declaration or fail to comply with quarantine measure as prescribed.

- To actively develop and prepare plans, scenarios and rehearsals for pandemic prevention and control according to specific situations when organizing events and crowded activities in the locality; to organize the inspection and supervision of the pandemic prevention and control in areas with high risks of outbreak; to strictly handle violation cases, especially those who fail to wear face masks in public or crowded places.

- To direct and provide guidance for hospitals and private clinics at district and commune levels to immediately provide information, update data, make declaration and give periodically scores on the map of safe living with COVID-19 according to the Ministry of Health’s instructions; to handle establishments failing to implement or ensure safety measures.

- To direct the inspection, supervision and implementation of food safety measures for COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control; to take measures to prevent COVID-19 transmission from imported foods.

- To continue performing the propaganda on COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control in the new normal, to propagandize the Ministry of Health’s 5K message in order to raise awareness for the people, not to be subjective in the pandemic prevention and control; to advise local authorities to impose administrative sanction on those who deliberately commit violations related to pandemic prevention and control measures.

- To develop, prepare and implement plans on ensuring adequate medical supplies and equipment for the prevention and control of COVID-19 pandemic.

- To direct health units in the locality to take COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control measures in service of the 13^thNational Congress of the Communist Party in accordance with the Ministry of Health s plan.

7. With regard to research institutions

- To continue reviewing, coordinating with relevant units in proposing specialized technical measures on supervision and response to COVI-19 pandemic in compliance with the pandemic context and technical progress of other countries in the world; to continue guiding, supervising and supporting localities to follow specialized technical instructions on monitoring, localizing and handling of pandemic, quarantine and taking testing samples as prescribed.

- To continue promoting research and development of COVID-19 vaccines, new testing methods for screening and defining SARS-CoV-2; to focus on international cooperation with countries obtaining results from clinical trial with COVID-19 vaccines.

8. Implementation organization

Directors of Departments of Health of provinces and centrally-run cities, health units of sectors, heads of unit affiliated to the Ministry shall direct the implementation of this Directive. The Medical Services Administration and the General Department of Preventive Medicine shall directly urge, monitor and inspect the implementation. Authorities, Departments and Directorates, Ministry Inspectorate, Ministry Office and units affiliated to the Ministry shall coordinate in implementing the assigned tasks and functions. Any difficulties arising in the course of implementation should be promptly reported to the Minister of Health for direction./.