As of this morning, the country’s caseload stood at 3,030, including 1,634 domestically-transmitted cases, according to the Ministry of Health.
Sixty-four cases have been recorded since the latest outbreak hit the country on April 27. The National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi’s Dong Anh District, the frontline facility in the COVID-19 fight, has recorded 22 cases in the new outbreak.
As many as 2,560 patients have been given the all-clear. Among the patients under treatment, 24 have tested negative for the coronavirus once, 12 twice and 38 thrice.
A total of 40,736 people are under medical monitoring nationwide, with 560 at hospitals, 21,733 at State-designed quarantine establishments, and 18,443 at home or residences.
The ministry said additional 90,417 people were given COVID-19 vaccine shots on May 5, raising the total number of vaccinated people to 675,956.
The Health Ministry has directed placing the second facility of the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Kim Chung under lockdown from 8 am on May 5, while stepping up tracing and testing of staff members and patients in the hospital.
The Health Ministry has instructed that only severe cases of COVID-19 should be moved to the Kim Chung facility, while patients who received treatment at the facility within the past 14 days must be traced and put under quarantine.
On the afternoon of May 5, Chu Ngoc Anh, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hanoi, checked the medical isolation and COVID-19 prevention and control at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases Base 2, Me Linh Field Hospital and some other facilities in the capital city. The chairman affirmed that Hanoi is ready to provide maximum support and supplies for the hospital during the medical isolation.
Hanoi City People's Committee Chairman Chu Ngoc Anh inspects the Me Linh field hospital. (Photo: NDO/Duy Linh)
To control and avoid spreading the epidemic to the community, Hanoi authorities suggested the hospital provide a list of patients who went to the hospital from April 20 for active tracing and coordinate with other provinces and cities in monitoring them after quarantine. In the immediate future, to ensure the medical examination and treatment for patients when the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases Base 2 is blocked, Hanoi will convert some other hospitals into COVID-19 dedicated treatment facilities, while ready to activate and put Me Linh Field Hospital into operation and turning Bac Thang Long Hospital to become a treatment facility for COVID-19 cases. On the afternoon of May 5, Dong Anh District supported the hospital with essential necessities.
Also on May 5, Chairman Chu Ngoc Anh ordered drastic implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control measures amid the complex and unexpected developments of the pandemic.
Since the new outbreak hit Vietnam on April 27, the capital city has detected 27 cases, including 22 in the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in the outskirts district of Dong Anh.
In a directive issued on May 5, Anh asked local administrations at all levels to consider the COVID-19 fight an important, urgent and top priority task in the time ahead, stressing vigilance must be maintained.
The official urged stepping the communication work and promoting the role of community-based anti-COVID-19 groups to encourage the public to join the pandemic combat.
Health declaration and mask wearing are mandatory, Anh said, adding that large gatherings at public places are banned and the physical distancing of at least 1m must be maintained.
Anh urged localities to draw up plans in order to ensure safety at medical facilities and make greater efforts in contact tracing, testing and quarantine, and suggested conducting tests at high-risk areas like industrial parks and areas where many foreign experts are living.
The official also ordered tightening the management at concentrated quarantine establishments, particularly hotels, to prevent cross-infections and pandemic spread among the community.
Meanwhile, along with tracing cases related to newly-detected COVID-19 patients in the community, localities are accelerating the testing of close contacts to them.
Many more localities including Vinh Phuc, Ca Mau, Dak Lak, Thai Binh, Quang Ninh and Kon Tum have suspended unnecessary activities to focus on COVID-19 prevention and halted non-essential businesses to limit the spread of the epidemic. Vinh Phuc Province has suspended the work of four officers related to outbreaks at Hoa Sen Health Care Centre and Sunny bar, while continuing to clarify the responsibilities of collectives and individuals in the COVID-19 prevention and control work.
Functional forces coordinate in COVID-19 prevention and control in Tien Yen District, Quang Ninh Province. (NDO/Quang Tho)
Compulsory quarantine period extended to 21 days
On May 5, the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control sent an urgent dispatch to the relevant agencies and localities regarding the extending of compulsory concentrated COVID-19 quarantine period in Vietnam to 21 days.
The mandatory concentrated quarantine for those enter Vietnam from abroad or had close contact with confirmed COVID-19 cases will be officially extended from the current 14 days to 21 days.
Local health departments and centres for disease control are urged to strictly comply with concentrated quarantine protocols to avoid cross-infection within quarantine facilities and transfer people who have completed concentrated quarantine to the authorities in their residence.
The follow-up medical observation period at home for those who have completed concentrated quarantine will be reduced from two weeks to seven days.
People who return from quarantine facilities should make daily health declarations with local medical workers. If they show any signs of fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, tiredness or loss of taste, they must go to the closest health clinic for guidance.
They are not allowed to leave their houses or places of residence. If they need to go out for work or other necessary purposes, they must report to local police and medical staff and strictly follow basic prevention measures.
Authorities of Sa Pa Town inspect COVID-19 prevention and control in O Quy Ho Ward, Sa Pa Town, May 5, 2021. (Photo: NDO/Quoc Hong)
On May 5, the Hanoi Railway Transport JSC said that it has decided to suspend the operation of trains on the Hanoi - Yen Bai route from May 8 due to the epidemic. In addition, the railway industry also stopped running HP1/LP2 trains on the Hanoi - Hai Phong route (running on weekends like Yen Bai trains) from May 8.
On the same day, the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam said that the agency has sent an official dispatch to relevant agencies and units on further strengthening COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control at local airports.
The Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control of Quang Nam province said that the People's Committee of Quang Nam province issued a document on May 5 allowing preschool children and local students across the province, except Hoi An City, to return to school from May 6, with full implementation of COVID-19 preventive measures.
