Covid-19 past its peak in Vietnam

Over the past week, hospitals in Hanoi have been recording fewer Covid-19 cases. The municipal Department of Health said Tuesday that there were still over 174,300 active Covid-19 cases in the capital city, including 906 patients in hospitals and six in other facilities.

Hanoi currently tops the country’s infection tally, with more than 1.5 million cases.

But the number of hospitalized cases over the past week has dropped by about 1.7 times compared to the week before, and the number of new infections has dropped by 1.3 times, the department said.

In Ho Chi Minh City, the former epicenter, the number of new cases has been dropping over the past week. More and more patients are being discharged from hospitals compared to those being admitted, according to the Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control.

The number of Covid-19 deaths has also been dropping steadily over the past month, with only one death recorded a day over the past 10 days, the committee noted.

Nationwide, the number of new Covid-19 infections has been dropping in late March and early April. From the peak of over 450,000 new cases a day (March 12), the number dropped 110,000 cases on March 29 and 50,000 on April 5. The number of severe cases has also halved over the past month, from over 3,800 cases on March 9 to 2,400 on April 5.

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son said Wednesday that the decreasing number of Covid-19 infections was “a very good sign”. Hanoi and HCMC have resumed many activities including allowing students to return to school, he added.

“The disease is now under control,” Son said, adding this was evidence that the nation’s vaccination campaign has been effective.

As of April 5, Vietnam had administered over 207 million Covid-19 vaccine shots, with 99 percent of the adult population fully vaccinated, and 50 percent having received their third shots. Ninety-four percent of children aged 12-17 have been fully vaccinated as well.

Vietnam will also produce Covid-19 antivirals at home, with a capacity of around 160 million molnupiravir pills a month, Son said.

However, medical authorities need to continue monitoring the situation and make due recommendations, Son said. One of their tasks now is to prepare response plans for new variants, he added.

People should also stay vigilant despite the decreasing numbers, avoiding large crowds during holidays and festivals, the deputy health minister advised.