Stop daily updates of Covid cases: health ministry

The announcements can cause needless worry among people, it said.

In the proposal submitted to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh Saturday, the ministry said that despite the rising numbers of daily community infections, the death rate has significantly reduced thanks to widespread vaccination coverage.

In the past month, the number of new infections has been rising in most provinces and cities, especially Hanoi. On average, the country has been recording between 50,000 and 75,000 new cases every day.

The ministry blamed the rising number of cases on the rapid spread of the Omicron variant in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Compared to the previous month (January), the number of community cases nationwide increased 198 percent, but that of deaths decreased by 47 percent, hospitalizations decreased by 24 percent and the number of severe and critical cases decreased by 43 percent, the ministry said.

For more than two years since the pandemic broke out in Vietnam, the health ministry has issued daily updates at 6 p.m. every day.

The ministry has also proposed those in close contact with Covid-19 patients self-monitor their health for 10 days if they satisfy one of these conditions: having been fully vaccinated against Covid with the last dose administered at least 14 days prior; having recovered from Covid within three months; or a negative PCR or rapid test result on the fifth day after the date of exposure to a Covid patient.

During the self-monitoring period, they have to comply with pandemic prevention measures and limit contact with high-risk groups.

Those in close contact with Covid patients but not fully vaccinated must be quarantined at home or place of accommodation for five days and test for the virus once.

Earlier, the health ministry required close contacts of Covid cases who have been fully vaccinated or recovered from Covid to undergo five-day home quarantine while unvaccinated people had to be quarantined at home for a week.

Its new proposal also stated that asymptomatic Covid patients can work online during the self-isolation period or take care of other Covid patients at home or in hospitals.

Since the fourth coronavirus wave hit the country in April last year, Vietnam has recorded over 4.15 million cases.

Vietnam has administered a total of 196 million Covid-19 vaccine doses.

Virtually all adults, people from 18, have received their first Covid-19 vaccine shots and 98 percent have received their second. Almost all children (99 percent) aged 12-17 have received their first vaccine shots, and 94 percent their second.