Illustrative image (Photo: vietnamnet.vn) Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Health has sent a dispatch to authoritiesof centrally-run cities and provinces requesting active response to COVID-19 asthe number of new infected cases globally surged by 80% last month.
In itsrecent report, the World Health Organisation (WHO) identified the newEG.5 sub-variant of Omicron as a "significant concern."
Thereport also revealed that during July 10-August 6, there were nearly 1.5million new infections worldwide, marking an 80% increase compared to theprevious four weeks. However, the number of COVID-19-related deaths fell by57%, totaling 2,500 cases.
Accordingly,cities and provinces were urged to seriously follow the Government and PrimeMinister’s directives on pandemic prevention and control, effectively realisethe Government’s Resolution and the Health Ministry’s guidelines on prevention andcontrol of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases such as dengue fever,hand-foot-and-mouth disease.
Assoc. Prof Tran Dac Phu, former Director of the ministry’sGeneral Department of Preventive Medicine, said in the current context, Vietnamneeds to continue closely monitoring the WHO's information on thetransmissibility and virulence of new variants, including the EG.5 sub-variant.
Preventive measures in the public should continue, such aswearing masks in high-risk areas, regularly washing hands and receiving vaccination,and others, he said./.
