Health

Health Ministry asked to amend COVID-19 risk level assessment criteria

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has asked the Ministry of Health to promptly review and amend guidelines on COVID-19 risk level assessment criteria.
Health Ministry asked to amend COVID-19 risk level assessment criteria ảnh 1An elderly man in Hanoi is vaccinated against COVID-19 at home. Vaccination coverage is one of the criteria for the assessment of pandemic risk levels. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has asked theMinistry of Health to promptly review and amend guidelineson COVID-19 risk level assessment criteria.

The ministryhas also been urged to provide specific instruction on the usage of COVID-19drugs, including anti-viral treatment. 

The currentcriteria pandemic risk levels are: new confirmed cases in the community overtime (Criteria 1); vaccination coverage (Criteria 2); and treatmentcapacity of medical and treatment establishments (Criteria 3). In case thelocality fails to satisfy Criteria 3, the pandemic risk level shall remainthe same.

Localitiesare responsible for evaluating disease risk levels of every district andcommune. Current levels are posted at https://capdodich.yte.gov.vn/map.

However, thecriteria on new community cases among 100,000 residents per week has becomeinefficient, according to Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son. Instead,Vietnam has shifted focus towards the number of critically ill patients,hospital admissions, fatalities and local treatment capacity to evaluatepandemic risks. 

Thanks tohigh vaccination coverage rates and the effective control of the spread of COVID-19,the daily count of new infections no longer plays an important role. 

It has beensuggested that medical sectors and localities categorise critically illpatients and fatalities under different criteria, such as vaccinated, notvaccinated, chronically ill, or late hospitalisation./.
VNA
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