Those neglecting Covid-19 prevention regulation to receive tough punishment

On the evening of May 5, while presiding at the virtual meeting with his vice chairmen Duong Anh Duc and Ngo Minh Chau, steering committees for the prevention of Covid-19 in districts, Chairman Phong said that all leaders, heads of departments, sectors, the Chairman of Thu Duc City People's Committee and districts must strictly comply with the government’s preventative measures.

Deputy Chairman Duong Anh Duc reported that from April 30, the city has set up three inspection teams to supervise the implementation of Covid-19 prevention regulations in business establishments and eateries. While paying a visit to the restaurant The King at 102-104 Le Lai in District 1 on May 4, inspectors discovered four Japanese and four Chinese people were singing in a karaoke room in the restaurant. One Chinese man has not completed his self-isolation.

Mr. Duc fretted that these eateries with karaoke rooms will highly likely run a risk of Covid-19 spread; therefore, he suggested unscheduled visits to these venues. A representative from the People’s Committee in District 1 said 199 karaoke parlors, discotheques, and theaters have shuttered following the authorities’ order. However, 28 eateries still opened and the King restaurant is one of them.

Chairman Phong showed his dissatisfaction with the case, asking that the chairman of the People’s Committee in the ward, where The King restaurant is located, must be held accountable.

Furthermore, he proposed to withdraw the business license of the restaurant for falling foul of the Covid-19 prevention regulations.

Speaking at the meeting, Professor Nguyen Tan Binh, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, reported 263 cases of Covid-19 in the city including 69 locally-transmitted cases and 190 imported cases, 236 recoveries while 27 people are being treated at Cu Chi Hospital, Children's Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City and Hospital for Tropical Diseases. All patients are in stable condition without severe complications.

According to Director Binh, from April 30 will now, the health sector has carried out 5,995 tests on people in parks, traditional markets, supermarkets accidentally; all were negative.

Moreover, the health sector has had a scenario in preparation for more locally-transmitted cases and for the upcoming election of deputies to the 15th National Assembly and to the people’s councils at all levels in the 2021-26 tenure following the Ministry of Health’s guidelines.

Concluding the meeting, Chairman Phong, Head of the Steering Committee for Covid-19 prevention, highly appreciated the Department of Health and other agencies’ efforts to maintain the impressive achievements in preventing Covid-19 in two years.

He also affirmed that the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic has not yet come to an end, while the virus has more and more dangerous variants. Worse, HCMC has 3 high-risk groups including quarantine groups in centralized isolation areas; self-quarantined groups at homes, and illegal immigrants. The city authorities need to focus on controlling these risks, said Mr. Phong.