PM stresses vigilance amid Omicron emergence
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on January 27 requested that relevant ministries and localities remain highly vigilant against the complex nature of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, especially after Omicron cases were detected in a number of localities.
Vietnam has so far recorded 166 Omicron cases in 14 cities and provinces nationwide, with some of them detected within the local community. Meanwhile, the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak is still evolving in a complicated manner, with more than 15,000 infections documented daily.
“There is no room for complacency, and we must not absolutely be negligent to ensure everyone will enjoy the traditional lunar New Year holiday,” PM Chinh told an online meeting with leaders of various ministries and localities on January 27.
Vietnamese people will begin celebrating their traditional Lunar New Year holiday this weekend, and the occasion is scheduled to last for nine days.
The Government leader asked localities to speed up vaccinations, in order to complete the second-dose campaign in January and the third-dose campaign for adults in the first quarter of the year.
The PM also asked the Ministry of Health to learn from foreign experiences and consult the World Health Organisation with regard to vaccinations for children aged between five and 11.
According to the Ministry of Health, high travel demand during the festive season at the start of the year will pose a high risk of the virus spreading in the community, including the Omicron variant and other mutated strains.
The gradual reopening of socio-economic development activities will therefore increase the number of hospitalisations, bringing to bear pressure on the healthcare system and affecting groups at high risk of serious illness, such as the elderly and people with underlying medical conditions, warned a Ministry of Health representative.
