Local authorities must be held responsible for transmissions in hospitals, members of the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control said at a meeting in Ha Noi on August 6.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam chairs the meeting (Photo: VNA)

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, head of the committee, presided over the function to implement preventive measures in the changing circumstances.

Acting Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said the ministry is exerting every effort to deal with the outbreak in Da Nang.

Patients and their family members as well as medical staff are in the highest-risk group, he said, adding that those returning from Da Nang since July 1 need to remain vigilant.

Some localities, in fact, lowered their guard and relaxed preventive measures, Long pointed out, adding that health facilities and hospitals nationwide must seriously implement preventive and containment measures such as wearing face masks and following social distancing measures.

The ministry is also intensifying testing capacity to quickly detect any new infections.

Members of the committee spoke highly of the active engagement and close coordination of the public security, military, and health forces in the fight against Covid-19 right from the beginning of the outbreak.

The committee urged Da Nang and certain districts and towns in neighbouring Quang Nam province to implement strict social distancing measures.

According to the Ministry of Health, as of the morning of August 6, Vietnam had recorded 717 Covid-19 cases, including 381 recoveries and nine deaths. More than 320 of all infections nationwide were imported.

Source: VNA