Today’s Covid News: The battle likely to last long, Health Minister says

Vietnam’s health sector has been asked to prepare both facilities and manpower for the fight against Covid-19 that might last long.

“We must prepare for the battle in a faster, stronger, and especially persistent manner,” Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said on Monday [August 2].

This wave of the pandemic is widespread and it’s hard to bring the infections to zero in the most affected areas like Ho Chi Minh City and some southern provinces, Long noted.

Therefore, the local governments need to prepare for the worst-case scenario with a special focus on treatment to minimize fatalities, he requested.

Vietnam’s coronavirus infections have so far reached 161,761, with 7,445 logged on August 2. About 29% of the total has recovered while the death toll stayed at 1,695.

AstraZeneca vaccine in the batch arrives in Vietnam on August 2. Photo: UNICEF

Vaccines and Vaccination

On August 2, a batch of 1.2 million AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine doses arrived in Vietnam through the COVAX Facility. It drives the volume through the WHO-led scheme for Vietnam to 8.68 million doses, including 5 million doses of the Moderna vaccine donated by the US government.

Thus far, Vietnam has received 18.7 million doses from both donation and purchase with five kinds of vaccines namely AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer, Vero Cell, and Sputnik V.

In the fourth quarter of this year, about 50 million Pfizer vaccine doses likely arrive in Vietnam, Health Minister Long said today.

Bac Ninh, where houses Samsung Electronics Vietnam (SEV) and its vendors, tops the localities for the rate of people inoculated with 30.35% people aged above 18, HCMC ranks second with 21.47%, while Hanoi nearly 14%.

Vaccination in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Doc Lap

Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) has been requested to mobilize discharged soldiers and bodyguards from private security firms for the battle.

The local government also asked the health ministry to send more health workers to support the testing and treatment of Covid-19 patients. It needs about 12,000 more health workers. Before, the ministry sent more than 8,000 health workers to the city.

Currently, the most populous city has about 44,000 people working in the health sector, 60% of them are joining the anti-pandemic work.

Hanoi launches zero-dong stores to help vulnerable groups. Photo: Khanh Huy/ Phap Luat Xa Hoi

News on the country’s largest retail network linked to a Covid cluster has made headlines.

A network of 39 VinMart/VinMart+ supermarkets and stores are linked to the cluster of 21 infections, with the index case is from their supplier. So far, no VinMart/VinMart+ staff have been infected with the virus.

The supplier Thanh Nga Company has also provided meat to a number of hotels and hospitals n Hanoi.

The suspension of Thanh Nga Company has affected a number of retailers in the city and they are seeking other sources to offset the volume.

Following the move, Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Chu Ngoc Anh asked authorized agencies to ensure a sufficient supply of essential goods, mainly food and welfare to vulnerable groups.

Vietnam's Covid-19 infections. Source: MoH. Chart: Minh Vu