Localities in Vietnam accelerate vaccination
Amongst cities and provinces reporting the Omicron variant, the Central Province of Quang Nam has the highest number of cases of Omicron variant with 14 cases, followed by Ho Chi Minh City with 11 cases, Thanh Hoa with two cases, Hanoi, Hai Duong, and Hai Phong with one case each.
The reopening of many international flight routes along with the increase in trade and travel of people during the Lunar New Year is likely to spread further to the community.
The Department of Health in Ho Chi Minh City said that in the last week of 2021 and the first days of 2022, the city recorded nearly 5,535 new Covid-19 cases. 970 infected people are in concentrated isolation centers while 36,304 infections are being isolated at home. The city saw a continuous decrease in deaths from 40 on December 28 to 21 cases on January 6. The city’s alert pandemic level maintains at level 2 with 6 yellow districts and 16 green districts and Thu Duc City.
The Ministry of Health required functional units and localities to expand the epidemiological investigation and notify relevant localities to coordinate in tracing close contacts after detecting a case of Covid-19. Localities ought to make a list of all close and related contacts of an infected patient, perform medical isolation, test F1 and return results as quickly as possible to implement timely epidemic prevention measures.
Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases Nguyen Thanh Truong said that by the end of December 2021 when the hospital averagely received 20-25 severe cases per day. However, the facility has admitted 1- 3 cases a day in the last few days thanks to localities’ efforts in preventing and controlling the pandemic.
Other Covid-19 treatment hospitals have also seen a decrease in hospitalizations. For instance, only 73 children are staying in three hospitals Children's Hospital 1, Children's Hospital 2, and the City Children's Hospital. Meanwhile, in December 2021, the city has 578 F0 children under 16 years old, leading to overcrowding at these three infirmaries.
Currently, Ho Chi Minh City has recorded 11 cases of Omicron out of 30 in the whole country, all imported cases that have been managed and isolated at field hospital No. 12. The city has carried out an investigation and tracing measures. Some 223 cases involving 11 patients including flight crew, passengers traveling on the same flight, service staff at the isolation area are all tested negative for SARS-CoV-2.
Facing the risk of spreading the Omicron variant, provinces and cities across the country have made plans to respond and prevent the disease. Dr. Tran Quang Hien, Director of the Department of Health in the Mekong Delta Province of An Giang, said that a response plan had been issued to effectively implement measures to prevent people with the variant from entering the country.
An Giang Province has adopted solutions such as strengthening supervision of people going through the border with Cambodia as well as isolating all of them according to regulations regardless of vaccination history or having recovered from Covid-19 disease. An Giang has accelerated booster vaccination and community health teams worked well.
Mai Van Huynh, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee in the Mekong Delta Province of Kien Giang, has just signed a guidance document relevant to the management of Covid-19 in the context of risk from Omicron variant SARS-CoV-2. Accordingly, the province will increase isolation, testing, and treatment in addition to the 5K principles and vaccination.
Kien Giang province also requires police officers, military forces, and local authorities in border crossings to strengthen control over land, waterway, and sea borders; strictly manage entry and exit, prevent illegal immigrants for early detection of Omicron variant infections.
The head of the Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control in the Central Highlands Province of Gia Lai proposed to suspend meetings with large crowds until the end of the Lunar New Year. The Department of Health of the South-Central Province of Ninh Thuan submitted to the Provincial People's Committee about the establishment of two isolation areas, separate treatment with Delta variant and Omicron variant.
According to Phan Trong Lan, Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine under the Ministry of Health, so far the Omicron variant has spread to at least 124 countries and territories around the world.
In the coming time, the reopening of many international routes and increased trade and travel of people during the 2022 Lunar New Year will pose a very high risk of infections in the Southeast Asian country.
To prevent the spread of the Omicron variant, the Ministry of Health recommended that localities strictly follow the Prime Minister’s direction and the guidance of the Ministry of Health. In particular, localities need to strengthen supervision in the community to detect suspected cases early.
