HCM City raises pandemic level of many communes, wards

With Ho Chi Minh City remaining at the Level 1 of pandemic risk (low-risk – new normal), 37 out of the city's total 312 wards and communes have seen their risk rise to Level 2 of medium-risk, according to the municipal Department of Health.

Vaccinating a resident against COVID-19 (Photo: VNA)

HCM City (VNA) – With Ho Chi Minh City remaining at the Level 1 of pandemic risk (low-risk – new normal), 37 out of the city's total 312 wards and communes have seen their risk rise to Level 2 of medium-risk when the city began assessing its pandemic level following Decision 218 of the Ministry of Health on February 14, according to the municipal Department of Health.

Among those localities, 28 have a lower-than-requirement rate of full vaccination; and three have recorded a death rate among COVID-19 patients higher than 6 per 100,000 persons, among other causes.

Given such developments, the department recommended the communes and wards focus on getting their residents receive full doses of COVID-19 vaccines; and intensify communications activities to raise public awareness on self-testing and prompt reports of infections to the authorities to minimise the rates of severe cases and deaths from the coronavirus.

After the Lunar New Year holiday – the longest festival in Vietnam that always sees heavy traffic as people often rush for their family reunion, daily COVID-19 cases in HCM City grew slightly but declined to less than 200 on February 13 and 14 with a very low number of related deaths.

On January 27, the Ministry of Health issued Decision 218 on COVID-19 risk level assessment, in line with the Government’s resolution on safe adaptation, flexible and effective control of the pandemic.

According to the new guidance, not only the number of new cases, but also the number of patients in severe condition and fatalities will be taken into account when evaluating the pandemic risk level of a locality. /.

VNA