Today’s Covid News: Vietnam targets to stamp out Covid-19 by mid-September

The government of Vietnam targets to contain the Covid-19 pandemic by September 15 in Ho Chi Minh City, the epicenter where accounts for 57% of the total 228,000 infections.

Testing remains one of the key measures against Covid-19 in Vietnam. Photo: Khanh Huy/ Phap Luat Xa Hoi

Some southern provinces bordering Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) like Binh Duong, Long An, and Dong Nai are expected to stamp out the virus by September 1, according to the document released on August 10.

And other cities and provinces are supposed to bring the pandemic under control prior to August 25.

To make the goals possible, the Government requires localities to strictly comply with the restrictions stated in Directive 15 and Directive 16 that mandate social distancing and stay-at-home order, respectively.

Localities under the two-week social distancing order need to protect their “green zone” (safe zones), reduce infections in the “yellow zone” (risk zone) and “orange zone” (high-risk zone), and isolate the “red zone” (the hotspots classified as those with the highest caseload). They are required to stamp out the pandemic in four weeks.

Regarding the southern region, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, who is also head of the National Steering Committee on Covid-19 Prevention and Control, said all 19 cities and provinces (including HCMC) in the south need to expand the “green zone” and narrow the red one to bring life back to the new normal as soon as possible.

Vipdervir, Vietnam's herbal Covid drug. Photo: MoH

Vietnam develops herbal Covid drug

Vietnam’s Ministry of Health has allowed phase 2 and phase 3 clinical trials of Vipdervir, a kind of herbal drug used to treat Covid-19 patients.

The trials will last for two or three months soon and it’s expected to be approved for use at the end of this year.

Developed by the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), the drug got an independent assessment for toxicity and the ability to inhibit the replication of H5N1 and SARS-CoV-2 viruses by the Hanoi Medical University, the National Institute of Drug Quality Control, and the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology.

Military personnel hand over the ashes to the family in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: MoH

Pray for people who died of Covid-19

The Vietnam Buddhis Sangha (VBS) has asked pagodas and Buddhist monasteries to keep free of charge and solemnly worship the ashes of patients who died of Covid-19.

Accordingly, those facilities need to take good care of the ashes before handing them over to the victims’ families.

In addition, on the occasion of the Vu Lan Festival (Ullambana), pagodas and monasteries throughout the country set up altars to pray for those who died due to the pandemic. Vu Lan festival held on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month is a Buddhist ritual to show filial piety to parents.

The VBS said that the activities are “necessary and meaningful in the spirit of filial piety in the Vu Lan season and suitable with the national tradition” in the fact that the social distancing has brought a halt to the holding of funerals.

In the fresh outbreak, Covid-19 has claimed 4,110 lives, mostly in Ho Chi Minh City. All the deaths are cremated and handed over to the families by the army.

Currently, 490 patients are in ICU and 20 others get ECMO support.

Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Dinh Tien Dung checks the building of the makeshift hospital in Hoang Mai District on August 10. Photo: Viet Thanh/ Kinh Te Do Thi

Hanoi

Today, the capital city reported 61 infections, totaling 2,140. The daily cases remain low but local authorities have tightened control over precautionary measures to curb the spread of the pandemic.

Authorized agencies are paying attention to the shelter-in-place order that aims to limit the number of people going outside unnecessarily.

Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Dinh Tien Dung said the strong enforcement of safety rules will enable Hanoi to contain the pandemic before it gets worse.

“It’s important to maintain the implementation of safety rules at the grassroots levels in line with the stay-at-home order,” Dung said when he worked today [August 10] with authorities in Hoang Mai District which is located a 700-bed makeshift hospital.

He emphasized the importance of preparations and readiness of the health sector to ensure both the health system and the whole political system to be active in coping with the worst-case scenario.

Daily infections

On August 10, Vietnam reports additional 8,390 coronavirus cases, 4,428 people recovered, and 388 deaths.

So far, around 35% of the total 228,135 have recovered.

As of August 10, 10.89 million vaccine doses have been administered, including one million fully vaccinated.

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