Vietnam To Declare COVID-19 A National Pandemic As Total Patient Tally Hits 204

COVID-19 in Vietnam, update on 31st March 2020

Over the past 24 hours since our last update, Vietnam has reported 10 additional COVID-19 cases, placing the total tally at 204 as of 9AM, 31st March 2020.

As the total number of cases continues to increase, Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has agreed to a health ministry proposal brought up during a government meeting yesterday to declare COVID-19 a national pandemic.

10 new COVID-19 cases

A patient being attended by a medical staff
Image credit: Bệnh Viện Sản Nhi Quảng Ninh

10 new patients confirmed positive for COVID-19 have been reported since yesterday. 2 of these are Vietnamese nationals returning from overseas on the 15th and 17th of March, while the other 8 are associated with the Bạch Mai Hospital (Hanoi) and the Trường Sinh Company, which provides food, water, and other logistical services to the hospital.

The 8 cases associated with the hospital include:

A 41-year-old man who lives in Thanh Oai District, Hanoi. He was at the Bạch Mai Hospital for a health check on 12th March.
7 employees of Trường Sinh Company, all female, aged between 23 to 61. Over 10 other employees from this company were previously confirmed positive for COVID-19.

On the other hand, the two overseas arrivals are:

A 35-year-old woman who returned to Hồ Chí Minh City from Greece on 17th March. She was quarantined on arrival.
A 10-year-old boy from District 2, Hồ Chí Minh City. On 14th March, he traveled from Prague (the Czech Republic) to Turkey, and then took another flight from Istanbul to Hồ Chí Minh City the next day. He tested negative on 18th March, but still displayed symptoms. On 27th March, he was tested again and this time the result came back positive.

Vietnam to declare COVID-19 a national pandemic

Medical staff gathering in front of the Bạch Mai Hospital to spray the entire facility with disinfectant
Image credit: Beat Hà Nội

In a meeting yesterday afternoon, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc agreed to a health ministry proposal to declare the COVID-19 outbreak ‘a national pandemic’. However, he said that the government had yet to consider a lockdown in Hanoi and Hồ Chí Minh City.

Mr Phúc mentioned that Vietnam is currently at “a decisive time” in the fight against COVID-19 and urged everyone to stay at home for at least the next 15 days.

Regarding the Bạch Mai Hospital, which has become a COVID-19 hotspot, the Prime Minister agrees that the hospital should be allowed to keep accepting patients in need of emergency treatment. However, it must ensure safety for medical staff and patients.

Further government meetings will be held tomorrow to discuss people’s welfare during the pandemic, and Mr Phúc added that the government will prioritize supporting individuals whose finances are at risk.

The COVID-19 situation in Vietnam

It is reassuring to see that our government is treating the COVID-19 pandemic seriously and implementing measures to ensure not only people’s safety, but their welfare as well.

Let’s support them by adhering to the restriction orders and stay at home.

For more COVID-19 stories, check out:

Cover image adapted from: Bệnh Viện Sản Nhi Quảng Ninh, Beat Hà Nội

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Toan Ngo