Experts say that coronavirus outbreaks in Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, and Hanoi are under control. Bac Ninh has eased social distancing measures in several places, while Hanoi has mulled reopening certain businesses.
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The number of new coronavirus cases in Bac Giang province has decreased dramatically. The outbreak is mainly due to workers and F1 cases in centralized quarantine facilities, says the health minister. There are currently 4,137 cases of Covid-19 cases in the province.
Duong Van Thai, secretary of Bac Giang Party Committee, said the province had attempted to curb the pandemic by June 21.
Taking samples from workers in Quang Chau Industrial Park, Bac Giang, for Covid-19 testing. Photo: VnExpress
There have remained only two large outbreaks in Bac Giang, one in several residences with crowded workers in the Viet Yen district and the other in centralized quarantine facilities receiving laborers in Viet Yen. However, the two clusters have a low risk of spreading to the community, Thai said, adding that the province had deployed testing and screening many times to timely detect F0 cases.
Hundreds of enterprises in Bac Giang have resumed operation, aiming to fulfill targets on ensuring production under Covid-19 prevention and control, VnExpress reported.
“The efforts of 10,000 Covid-19 community groups with the involvement of 36,000 people and the determination of leaders and residents have helped to put the pandemic in the province under control,” Thai said.
Hoang Minh Duc, deputy director of the preventive medicine department under the health ministry, said Bac Ninh had eased the social distancing measures and lockdown in several areas.
A medical worker checks the temperature of a driver in Bac Ninh Province. Photo: VnExpress
Tu Son town has recently reported several new infections. The health sector has contact traced 229 F1 and 2, 679 F2 cases. Experts said that although the pandemic in the town was under control, it posed a potential risk of spreading to the community.
Le Xuan Loi, secretary of Tu Son Party Committee, said that the town had sped up contact tracing to discover new cases. In addition, it has prepared centralized quarantine facilities for 3,000 people.
Since June 14, field hospital No.02, with 300 beds in Gia Binh Medical Center, Bac Ninh has been dissolved.
Medical workers of Gia Binh district disinfected the area, and the center has returned to normal medical examination and treatment activities.
There are three other field hospitals still operating in Bac Ninh.
In Hanoi, the infection chain of small traders in Dong Anh district is the most worrying, with the first case detected on June 7. After a week, this cluster has documented 18 infections: 17 in Dong Anh and one in Soc Son district.
Khong Minh Tuan, deputy director of Hanoi Center for Disease Control, said this outbreak was basically under control, with close contacts having their samples for testing. However, more new infections linked to the outbreak are likely to be recorded.
A medical worker operates inside the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi. Photo: VnExpress
Tuan said the virus might exist in the area for a relatively long time. Thus, Hanoi CDC would continue to zone and conduct contact tracing on a larger scale.
Since April 24, the capital has recorded 246 Covid-19 cases. Chairman of Hanoi People's Committee Chu Ngoc Anh said the city would consider relaxing several essential businesses to diminish the impacts of the pandemic on people’s lives.
Over six weeks into its fourth wave, which is the most challenging that Vietnam has encountered, the country has recorded 7,599 cases in 40 of its 63 cities and provinces.
Completing the third round of vaccination by June 18
The Ministry of Health has urged the ministries of defense and public security, people’s committees of provinces and cities, and four institutes of hygiene and epidemiology to accelerate Covid-19 immunization.
Accordingly, the health ministry requires the inoculation to be completed before June 18 to ensure safety.
The National Institute of Hygiene And Epidemiology, Tay Nguyen Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Nha Trang Pasteur Institute, and Ho Chi Minh City Pasteur Institute have been assigned to support provinces and cities in administration.
Vietnam will secure about 120 million Covid-19 vaccine doses this year from different sources, including AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Russia, and the Covax Facility.
Vietnam has received two batches of AstraZeneca vaccine, comprising 811,200 doses on April 1 and 1,682,400 doses supplied by Covax on May 16. In addition, it has ordered 30 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine and received 400,000 doses.
A medical worker at HCMC Hospital for Tropical Diseases checks a vial of the AstraZeneca vaccine on March 8, 2021, when Vietnam started its mass vaccination campaign. Photo: VnExpress
As of June 14, Vietnam has injected 1,498,323 vaccine doses to its citizens, mainly medical and frontline workers. A total of 55,265 people have completed two shots.
The health ministry has reached a deal to purchase 20 million doses of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine, but the delivery time is unknown.
The ministry has also successfully negotiated with the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech pharmaceutical companies. Moderna has pledged to authorize Zuellig Pharma company to distribute 5 million doses to Vietnam in May. Ho Chi Minh City is required to buy this amount of the vaccine, but it has not yet arrived in the country,
Meanwhile, Pfizer/BioNTech has committed to supply Vietnam with 31 million doses in the third and fourth quarters.
Malie Nguyen
