The proposal was made when a delegation of the Ministry of Health led by Minister Nguyen Thanh Long had a meeting with authorities in Kien Giang on Covid-19 prevention and control on Sunday.
According to the provincial people’s committee, Kien Giang is at high risk of Covid-19 outbreak as the locality is near Cambodia and Thailand which are witnessing a sharp rise in Covid-19 infections.
The delegation of the Ministry of Health inspect the Covid-19 prevention and control in Kien Giang Province on April 18.
Currently, around 103,000 Vietnamese Cambodians are living in Cambodia, including up to 1,700 people in the three Cambodian provinces of Kampot, Kep and Preah Sihanouk which border Kien Giang.
Since February 20, up to 1,300 people have entered Vietnam through Kien Giang’s Ha Tien International Border Gate, including 142 illegal migrants. Among those, many have tested positive for Covid-19.
At the meeting, Kien Giang asked the Ministry of Health for assistance in the fight against Covid-19, including the priority of providing Covid-19 vaccination for all residents in Phu Quoc District. This is aimed to help the district ensure safer tourism.
The province also urged the ministry to allow the setup of a 350-bed field hospital in Ha Tien City as well as support the city in raising its Covid-19 testing capacity.
Kien Giang also asked the Ministry of Health to consider the Covid-19 vaccine passport application for Phu Quoc in order to help the district in tourism and economy development.
Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said that the Ministry of Health is always willing to support localities in the Covid-19 fight in necessary cases. The ministry will take careful consideration into Kien Giang’s proposals for timely and suitable assistance.
