Health ministry proposes keeping COVID-19 in Group A of infectious diseases

A doctor performs a health examination of an influenza A patient at Thanh Nhàn Hospital in Hà Nội. Most patients were admitted to the hospital in very serious conditions. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Quyet

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Health has proposed keeping COVID- 一 九 in the 'Group A' of infectious diseases and not downgrading it to an endemic disease yet, in the ministry's latest draft on COVID- 一 九 prevention and control measures in the new situation.

Explaining the decision, the Ministry of Health said that most countries in the world were in a state of unstable COVID- 一 九 cases and deaths, with an erratic increase and decrease trends as new variants of the SARS-CoV- 二 virus appear. Furthermore, acquired i妹妹unity (from vaccines and infection) had not been stable for a long time and decreases over time.

In Việt Nam, more than nine million new cases were reported in the first seven months of this year, with over  三 三,000 cases in July alone, up  二 二. 四 per cent from June. Cases of the sub-variants BA. 四 and BA. 五 had been recorded and account for a large proportion of cases in the southern provinces. Meanwhile, the rate of booster shot vaccinations and vaccinations among children was low in some localities.

A rise in new cases could overload the health system, particularly as other diseases such as influenza type A and dengue fever are now entering peak season, and infectious diseases like monkeypox appear around the world.

At the same time, the ministry suggested step-by-step easing pandemic prevention and control measures in a flexible manner.

The ministry has also built plans to respond to different scenarios of COVID- 一 九 in  二0 二 二 and  二0 二 三, based on the WHO’s strategic preparedness and response plan for COVID- 一 九.

It urged enhanced vigilance against new variants of the SARS-CoV- 二 virus and staying prepared to respond to any possible pandemic scenarios, along with accelerating the pace of administering booster shots and basic doses for children from  五 to  一 一 years old. — VNS