Thai Binh (VNA) ꩲ– The northern province of Thai Binh is making every effort to well control the COVID-19 pandemic and maintain socio-economic development. In the first half of 2021, the locality’s economy recovered at a high level compared to that of the same period last year.

Taking the initiative in COVID-19 prevention and control

May 6 can be said to be a "special" day of Thai Binh when it recorded the first COVID-19 infections after nearly one year and a half it had stood firm amid the dangerous pandemic. Thai Binh was also the first province to immediately impose social distancing in the whole province under the Prime Minister’s Directive No.15 in the fourth outbreak of the pandemic. Right after five cases were detected on May 6 morning, the province decided to implement social distancing across the province in accordance with Directive No.15 from 12:00 the same day. The entire political system and local people from all walks of life actively took part in pandemic prevention and control with the spirit of “Fighting the pandemic like fighting the enemy”, with the aim to successfully achieve the dual goals of pandemic prevention and control and socio-economic development in the new normal, and quickly trace all people with possible contact with positive patients to zone off affected areas and quarantine them as regulated. Pham Quang Hoa, Director of the provincial Department of Health, said amidst the complicated developments of the pandemic, the health sector intensified dissemination on the pandemic situation and prevention and control measures, mobilised all human resources to synchronously perform assigned tasks, prepared necessary and sufficient conditions for dealing with a possible more complicated situation, and at the same time made personnel ready to provide aid to localities with complicated developments. With the active participation of the entire political system, the province has basically controlled the outbreaks in the community. By 5:30 pm on July 25, Thai Binh had recorded 38 COVID-19 infections since April 28, of whom 31 were founded in the community; 5,560 cases returning from pandemic-hit areas since June 26; 788 suspected cases that have been quarantined and treated at medical facilities; and 4,124 monitored at concentrated quarantine facilities since January 1, 2021.

Economic growth maintained

The proactive prevention and control of the pandemic has helped all sectors, localities, the business community and locals overcome difficulties caused by impacts of the pandemic in order to maintain and develop production and business and promote local economic recovery. In the first six months of this year, the industrial sector still enjoyed the largest growth with an estimated production value of 36.1 trillion VND, up 10.8 percent year-on-year and equal to 45.3 percent of the yearly plan, in which the mining industry grew by 10.6 percent, and processing industry expanded by 11.4 percent. The number of newly-established enterprises and branches and representative offices rose by 14 percent over the same period last year with a total of more than 420 enterprises, branches and representative offices and a total registered capital of 3.8 trillion VND, up 13.8 percent year-on-year. In the total local budget revenue in the period, domestic revenue reached 67 percent of the estimate with an amount of more than 4.56 trillion VND, a year-on-year jump of 50.1 percent. Disbursement of construction investment during January-June reached 77 percent of the yearly estimate, making Thai Binh rank second in the country, after Hai Phong city, in terms of construction investment disbursement in 2021. The agro-forestry-fisheries and services sectors also posted growth with 1.71 percent and 4.35 percent, respectively. Total retail sales of goods and revenue from consumer services were estimated at 24.4 trillion VND, up 7.6 percent over the same period in 2020./.