Vietnam has quickly achieved a high vaccination coverage rate; however, in some places, Covid-19 vaccination roll-out is slow failing to meet the requirements plus slow vaccination progress, especially the second shots for children from 5 years old to under 12 years old and third and fourth booster shots for people from 18 years old and above. As a result, more people were infected with Covid-19; thus, the Prime Minister asked to push up the Covid vaccine roll-out.
Currently, the pandemic remains complicated and unpredictable in the world, and new waves of infections have occurred in several countries with the rise of coronavirus sub-variants. The World Health Organization continues to affirm that up to now, vaccination is still a strategic solution to control the Covid-19 epidemic.
In the country, the Covid-19 epidemic situation is still basically under control, and socio-economic activities have returned to normal. However, in recent times, the number of new cases, the number of hospitalizations, and severe cases are on an increasing trend. Worse, many localities have recorded new coronavirus variants with the ability to spread faster than the original strains plus the occurrence of many diseases such as dengue fever, seasonal flu, and hand, foot and mouth.
In order to continue to protect and sustainably maintain the country’s achievement in fighting the Covid-19 epidemic, especially in the context that the epidemic is at risk of increasing, creating conditions for recovery and socio-economic development, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam yesterday signed an official Dispatch No. 755/CD-TTg of the Prime Minister to the Head of the Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control in provinces and centrally-run cities, chairpersons of municipal and provincial people's committees, ministers, heads of agencies and agencies on accelerating the implementation of measures to prevent and control the Covid-19 epidemic.
The Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Health to strengthen inspection and urge localities to implement vaccination, and promptly report to the Prime Minister about localities that do not ensure progress.
Regarding the response to new variants, the Prime Minister also assigned the Ministry of Health to closely follow the developments of the Covid-19 epidemic in the world as well as enhance information, and learn international experiences and experts' opinions to assess and forecast disease developments caused by new variants.
Moreover, the Ministry was assigned to conduct a community immunity assessment to have timely and appropriate consultation on preventative measures.
Chairpersons of provincial people's committees were asked to review and update the scenario, to fully prepare human resources, drugs, equipment and medical supplies preparation of possible Covid epidemic outbreaks. Additionally, they should make sure that people access to medical services fastest. Leaders of any agency or locality that fails to promptly control and cause the epidemic to break out on a large scale must be held accountable to the Party and the government.
The Prime Minister also asked the Ministry of Health to proactively and promptly provide updated information on the epidemic situation, especially the risk caused by new variants, and measures to prevent and control the epidemic.
The Ministry of Information and Communications, Vietnam Television, Voice of Vietnam, press agencies and authorities in all districts continue to promote information and propaganda so that people can strictly comply with the regulations on disease prevention and control and get their Covid-19 vaccine as the highly infectious delta variant continues to spread.
Yesterday night, the Ministry of Health said that during the day, the country had 3,342 more Covid-19 infection cases and 12,747 recoveries. At the same time, there were two more Covid-19 deaths in the southern provinces of Ba Ria - Vung Tau and Tay Ninh .
