Hanoi (VNA) - Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh has asked Ho Chi Minh Cityto maintain a high level of vigilance against COVID-19, improve its quarantine capacity,and be ready to support other localities, including southwestern borderprovinces.

Ata working session with HCM City’s leaders on April 28, Binh said the cityshould review its COVID-19 prevention and control from the highest to the grassrootslevels.

Alongwith strengthening the inspection of pandemic prevention activities, especiallyat hospitals, schools, supermarkets, and places of worship, it should strictlypunish those who fail to abide by prevention and control regulations as well asthose facilitating illegal entry into Vietnam and illegal immigrants, he said.

Amidthe complex developments in the region and the world, localities around thecountry must strictly implement the directions from the Party CentralCommittee’s Secretariat, the Government, and the Prime Minister, especiallyduring the National Reunification Day (April 30) and May Day (May 1) holidaysand the upcoming general elections, the Deputy PM stressed.

Atthe working session, Deputy Minister of Public Security Sen. Lieut. Gen. NguyenVan Son said that, since the beginning of April, the public security force hasheld four working sessions in southern localities on COVID-19 prevention whiledirecting the force in HCM City to strengthen its engagement in the task.

Meanwhile,Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said that HCM City is facing a high riskof another COVID-19 outbreak, stressing the need for it to work harder toprevent that from happening. Together with cancelling mass gatherings, the cityshould also prepare more medical equipment for fighting the pandemic, he said.

Theminister hoped the city will help Mekong Delta localities in COVID-19prevention and control.

Accordingto Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong, the cityhas discovered 108 illegal immigrants since the beginning of April.

Althoughit has gone 73 days without any cases of domestic transmission, it has remainedvigilant. Since April 27, it has strictly punished those not wearing a facemask in public places, while designing specific plans to ensure safety during theupcoming general elections, he said.

NguyenTan Binh, Director of the city’s Department of Health, said the southern hubhas recorded 254 COVID-19 cases to date, including 68 domestically-transmittedinfections.

Sincethe beginning of the year, it has sent 66 illegal immigrants to quarantine and isencouraging local people to make health declarations and strictly implement the“5K message”./.