Today’s Covid News: Ho Chi Minh City's coronavirus infections surpass 100,000

Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC)’s coronavirus infections surpassed 100,000, accounting for 60.63% of Vietnam’s total caseload.

So far, about 1.7 million vaccine doses have been administered out of total of 4.1 million doses allocated in the most populous city.

The poor in District 12, Ho Chi Minh City receives donation. Photo: Le Tuyet

In the spirit to spare no effort to HCMC, the Ministry of Health has prioritized vaccines for the city. The local government expected to get four million doses in August to give the first jab to at least 70% of its adults aged above 18.

The city is battling the treatment of 1,026 severe cases out of more than 33,000 hospitalized patients. Deputy Secretary of the municipal Party’s Committee Phan Van Mai said today [August 3] that “Treating patients of critical condition and fighting for their lives cost lots of our efforts.”

Severe cases are treated at three big hospitals namely Covid-19 Resuscitation Hospital, Cho Ray Hospital, and Hospital for Tropical Diseases. Some resuscitation hospitals are under construction that will be run by leading hospitals like Bach Mai, Viet Duc, and Hue Central Hospitals.

The city reported an average of 4,000 patients recovered per day, totaling more than 40,000.

To support people who are affected by the pandemic, the city has launched different welfare programs including cash, zero-dong supermarkets, and direct goods to vulnerable groups.

In the latest move, the city has prepared a supporting package worth VND760 billion (US$33 million) for those groups. In June, it approved a VND886-billion ($38.5 million) package, not to mention VND26 trillion ($1.13 billion) by the Government that the city benefits part of it. Over the past time, the city also received relief worth VND351 billion ($15 million) from domestic and foreign donors.

Long Bien Market the night before lockdown. Photo: Viet Linh/ Zing

Hanoi expands partial lockdown

Hanoi’s authorities on August 3 put Long Bien Market, the largest wholesale market in the capital city, under lockdown over some linkage to Covid-19 infections.

Long Bien is the fourth wholesale market in Hanoi placed under lockdown after the Southern Wholesale Market in Hoang Mai District, Phung Khoang Wholesale Market in Nam Tu Liem District, and Minh Khai Market in Bac Tu Liem District.

To ensure a sufficient supply of essential goods for Hanoi, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has asked the local government to supplement different selling models, including mobile shops and online channels. In addition, it requested big supermarkets to stockpile the goods on a monthly and quarterly basis.

The city’s leaders have asked local sectors to prepare quarantine facilities under the health sector's worst-case scenarios with infections of 20,000.

To date, Hanoi reported 1,668 cases.

Vaccines

Dr Kidong Park, the World Health Organization (WHO) Representative to Vietnam, said that the body would support the Ministry of Health in evaluating and approving homegrown Covid-19 vaccines through the National Regulatory Authority (NRA).

NRA is the national regulatory agency responsible for evaluating pharmaceuticals and biological products, including vaccines that meet the international standards on quality and safety.

Vietnam is one of 39 countries recognized in the WHO’s rating scale for the safety and efficacy of vaccines, Dr Park said at the meeting on August 3 with Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long.

So far, Vietnam has received more than 18 million vaccine doses from both donation and purchase. About 6.96 million doses have been administered, including more than 712,000 fully inoculated.

Vietnam's coronavirus cases. Source: MoH. Chart: Minh Vu