Hanoi (VNA) – The Party Central Committee’s Secretariat on January 5called on the entire political system and people to tighten and follow COVID-19prevention and control measures as the pandemic has still seen complicateddevelopments in many countries around the world with the appearance of new andmore contagious strains of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

In a dispatch sent to the National Steering Committee forCOVID-19 Prevention and Control, municipal and provincial Party Committees, Party Civil Affairs Committees, centrally-run Party delegations and Party Committees, the Secretariat said that the pandemic has been put undercontrol in Vietnam thanks to joint efforts of the political system and highconsensus and response of the people.

However, the risk of infections spreading in the community remainshigh as many Vietnamese citizens living abroad want to return home tocelebrate the lunar New Year, which falls in mid-February this year. Meanwhile,in some places, there have been signs of neglect and subjectivity in diseaseprevention and control, the Secretariat stressed.

To take the initiative in disease prevention and controlduring the biggest festival of the Vietnamese people and make the best preparationsfor the upcoming 13th National Party Congress, the Secretariat asked the Party Committees and Party organisations at all levels to strictly follow directions ofthe Secretariat, the Prime Minister and the National Steering Committee forCOVID-19 Prevention and Control, and guidelines of the Health Ministry.

The Government's Party Civil Affairs Committee, and the standing boards ofthe provincial and municipal Party Committees were requested to direct the control of borders,roads and waterways as well as the tight management of entry-exit activitiesto prevent illegal entry and border-crossing.

It is necessary to investigate and bring to light the rings which organise illegal entry into Vietnam and strictly punish any violations.

Special attention should be paid to instructing the strictimplementation of quarantine regulations both at concentrated quarantine facilitiesand at home to prevent the coronavirus from spreading at concentratedquarantine facilities and from these facilities to the community.

The Secretariat also requested restricting the organisation ofmass gatherings and festivals, and carrying out disease prevention andcontrol measures at pedestrian streets, entertainment places, markets, supermarkets,trade centres, bar lounges and karaoke parlours.

The Secretaries of provincial and municipal Party Committees and heads ofParty organisations must direct the implementation of disease prevention and controlmeasures in their localities, and are responsible to the Politburo and theSecretariat for the work.

Meanwhile, the Party Central Committee’s Commission forInformation and Education and the Ministry of Information and Communicationsshould instruct the press agencies to provide timely and accurate information soas to encourage their relatives not to enter the country illegally and report anyillegal entry cases to authorities.

The Party Central Committee’s Commission for Mass Mobilisation, the Vietnam Fatherland Front and mass organisations from the central to local levels were urged to step up communications toraise public awareness of following COVID-19 prevention and control measures.

The Secretariat also required the Party Civil Affairs Committee of theHealth Ministry to soon carry out plans on cooperating with foreign partners in producing and purchasingvaccines from foreign countries, and researching and manufacturing domestic vaccines, andsubmit to the Government's permanent members for consideration and decision./.