Vietnam PM Demands to Promote Vaccine+5K Strategy, Facilitate Freight Flows

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has ordered governmental agencies to promote the “vaccine+5K” strategy and issue a standard rule to facilitate freight flows from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-hit areas to others, state media reported. PM Phuc made the order at a meeting on fighting the pandemic on February 24 morning after 117,000 doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Tan Son Nhat airport and cars transporting agricultural products from Hai Duong province, the country’s current biggest COVID-19 infection cluster, have been stuck in the neighboring city of Haiphong due to strict anti-pandemic measures. PM Phuc highlighted the importance of the “vaccine+5K” strategy, saying that people must continue following anti-pandemic measures despite having COVID-19 vaccines. The government leader asked the Government Office (GO) and the Ministry of Health (MoH) to draft a resolution on locals who will be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccines, noting that the principle is those with high risks will be injected first. Mr. Phuc also assigned three ministries, namely the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the MoH to soon issue a standard procedure to promote the consumption of goods from pandemic-hit areas in line with anti-pandemic measures. He stated that localities like Haiphong city with a seaport should ensure the smooth transportation of goods from pandemic-hit areas. He also asked agencies to tighten management over borderlines to prevent illegal entrants and spread the pandemic to the community, proposing that agencies should collaborate with some local authorities to build some safe transaction areas like in Singapore. As of February 24 morning, Vietnam recorded 2,402 COVID-19 infections, including 35 deaths and 1,760 recoveries. (BaoChinhPhu, moh.gov.vn)