Covid-19 outbreak eases in HCMC

Ho Chi Minh City has experienced a decrease in the number of daily Covid-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations in the past week.

For the past seven days, the number of daily infections in the city has remained below 1,000 compared to an average 1,200-1,400 per day in the past month.

In specific, HCMC had reported 813, 979, 787, 679, 885, 544 and 671 cases per day between Dec. 21 and 28.

The average daily death toll for the last seven days is 43, down from 62 a week earlier.

“Those figures truly reflect the pandemic situation in the city and that health authorities have conducted tests in line with protocol, including regular testing among high-risk groups,” Pham Duc Hai, deputy head of the city Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control and Economic Recovery, told a meeting Monday.

Nguyen Hong Tam, deputy head of the HCMC’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said since all social distancing measures were lifted in the city on Oct. 1, it has continued campaigns to collect samples for testing in the community, including at schools, companies, and factories.

“Aside from a decrease in the daily infection tally, the number of Covid-19 deaths and severe cases that need to be hospitalized has also dropped.”

“This could be an optimistic sign for the fight against Covid-19 in HCMC,” he said.

However, he warned people not to let their guard down, especially during the festive season, which creates many opportunities for gatherings.

Besides, the city plans to have more students return to school after it organized in-person classes for ninth and 12th graders for two weeks, which can also create conditions for more cases in the community.

HCMC was the epicenter of Vietnam’s latest Covid-19 wave, which hit the country eight months ago.

So far in the wave, the city had recorded over 501,000 cases and 19,628 deaths.

It now has around 8,000 active patients. Of them, 419 are critical.

By Huu Cong – VnExpress.net – December 28, 2021