The Ministry of Health has warned about a new Covid-19 outbreak amid rising numbers of infections and deaths reported by local hospitals.
Illustrative photo
The Hanoi-based Hospital for Tropical Diseases is treating some 150 Covid-19 patients daily including several serious cases transferred from other hospitals.
Vice head of the hospital's Intensive Care Unit, Pham Van Phuc, said that there were over 40 serious Covid-19 patients being treated daily at the unit including 20 having to use ventilators.
Doctor Phuc said that some 20 percent of these critical patients are elderly people who have underlying diseases and never took their Covid-19 vaccines.
"In recent days the number of patients in critical condition has risen to 10 cases, up from five to seven cases a day in June and July," the doctor said.
Doctor Vu Phuong Nga at the E General Hospital said that they were receiving Covid-19 patients every day. Some patients are having both Covid-19 and dengue at the same time.
Speaking at a recent meeting, Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thi Lien Huong warned that the Covid-19 pandemic is returning with a rising number of fatalities and serious cases reported by local hospitals.
"Many new sub-types of the Omicron variants including BA.4, BA.5, BA2.74, BA 2.12.1 have been detected in localities nationwide," Huong said. "Meanwhile, the vaccination rate for those taking additional doses is still low, particularly among children."
The minister added that the country is reporting between 2,000-3,000 new Covid-19 infections and some five Covid-19-related deaths daily.
