Today’s Covid News: Vaccination becomes critical to Ho Chi Minh City

Chairman of the HCMC People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong has said that vaccination is the biggest pillar in the city’s Covid-19 response strategy.

Phong made the statement at a time when the number of community infections hit around 2,000-3,000 per day, accounting for two-thirds of its total daily cases. On August 17, the rate accounted for 72% of 3,540 cases detected on the day.

The new infections in the community leave the burden on the medical facilities that are already stretched to capacity.

To date, it has vaccinated more than four million doses. Some districts have finished the first shot for 70% of their adults but there remains a long road to achieve the full vaccination rate.

As the city has 43,700 confirmed cases (F0) treated at home, it has digitalized information on patients, emergency, vacancy of hospital beds, treatment among others. 

With an aim to bring the pandemic under control in the next one month, the city will have three stages from August 15 to 22, it targets to lower the death rate (about 241 per day for the past few weeks); on August 23-31, it targets to stamp out the pandemic in the Districts of Can Gio, Cu Chi, Nha Be, Phu Nhuan, District 5, District 7, and District 11; on September 1-15, it expects to hospitalize less than 2,000 cases per day and ensure more than 70% of adults aged more than 18 vaccinated and 15% of them fully inoculated.

Shippers deliver goods at a makeshift hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Duy Hieu/ Zing

Donation of vaccines 

The Government of Poland today announced that it will donate to Vietnam more than 501,000 doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine out of three million doses it could resell to Vietnam.

In addition, Poland will grant Covid relief worth US$4 million, which is scheduled to arrive in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) on August 25, the news was released at the meeting between Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Polish Ambassador to Vietnam Wojciech Gerwel on Tuesday [August 17].

With these donations from Poland and other countries in recent times as well as financial and technical supports from the Government, domestic and international organizations, and people nationwide, Vietnam is expected to stamp out the outbreak next month.

Hanoi police check reasons to go out on August 17. Photo: Khanh Huy/ The Hanoi Times

Hanoi

Khong Minh Tuan, deputy director of the Hanoi Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Hanoi CDC), called on Hanoi’s locals to make a medical declaration (on apps Bluezone or at www.tokhaiyte.vn) when they have one of the symptoms like fever, cough, sore throat, shortness in breath, muscle pain among others.

The move helps health workers conduct testing when needed and detect index cases as soon as possible.

Tuan requested people to stay at home and go out when necessary.

In another move, Hanoi has decided to start the school year on September 1, 2021.

Thus far, 33 cities and provinces have announced the new school year plans with the earliest on August 23. Most of the localities on the list are in the north.

Daily infections

Vietnam on August 17 recorded 9,605 Covid-19 infections, with 37% in Ho Chi Minh City and 34% in Binh Duong, according to the Ministry of Health.

Thus far, more than 15.27 million vaccine doses have been administered, including 1.4 million people who got two doses.

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