Covid-19 in Vietnam: Infections surge, fatalities drop

Vietnam’s community Covid-19 transmissions are rapidly surging, but the mortality rate has plunged sharply due to large vaccination coverage.

New infections quickly soared in most cities and provinces in February. The country recorded an average 50,000-70,000 new cases daily, with the highest reaching more than 125,000 in a day, according to the Ministry of Health.

Domestic infections in February escalated 197.9% or an almost three-fold increase against January.

The unvaccinated group, especially those under 12, saw a higher infection rate (18.4% in January and 24.3% in February).

The prevalence of Omicron is mainly attributed to the recent sharp rise of Covid-19 outbreaks across the country, particularly in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City. Omicron is gradually replacing the Delta variant.

However, due to the nation’s high vaccination coverage and good care for highly vulnerable patients, the ratio of fatalities to infections has sharply dived. The mortality rate over the past 30 days was 0.2 percent, down from the nearly 1 percent of last month.

Deaths dropped 47.1 percent in February against January, hospitalizations reduced 24.5%, and severe cases fell 43.1%.

As of March 3, Vietnam had received 218 million Covid-19 vaccine doses, with 196 million doses administered.

About 78.9 million Vietnamese people or 81.8% of the population have been vaccinated at least once. The figures for those inoculated twice are 76.1 million, or 78.9 percent. Around 40.3 million people received the third dose, or 41.8 percent of the population.

“Covid-19 has basically been put under control nationwide. All localities have shifted to safely adapting to the disease,” the Ministry of Health told a meeting of the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control on Saturday.

Vietnam has fully reopened its tourism market since March 15. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Thursday stated that the country will move to “normalization”, with Covid-19 “treated as an endemic disease”.

Corporate representatives at Vietnam Business Forum in February praised Vietnam’s transition from the “zero-Covid policy” to safe adaption together with effective control of the disease, to boost socio-economic recovery.