Director of the Hanoi Department of Education Tran The Cuong has denied rumors that students in the city will resort to online learning due to the increasing number of coronavirus infections.

Asked about the hearsay spread on social media networks, Cuong affirmed on April 12 that the information on online learning is not true.

"All leaders and staff of the Ministry of Education and Training must be cautious when sharing unfounded information about the pandemic that has not been confirmed by relevant agencies so as not to cause misunderstanding and confusion," Cuong stressed.

From the beginning of the academic year, schools in Hanoi maintain pandemic prevention plans. Photo: Viet Linh/Zing

The ministry has asked all educational institutions to strictly implement disease prevention and control, including the Covid-19 pandemic. Schools must prepare medical conditions and equipment and thoroughly train staff in disease prevention and control.

"In addition, the department has asked schools to check the facilities, power lines, trees, and canteens to ensure the safety of students," the director said.

The city's Health Department reported that the number of Covid-19 cases in Hanoi has risen sharply in recent days, raising concerns about the infectious pandemic that had been subdued for months and allowed for a normal life.

Local health specialists have explained the reasons for the surge in patients. Tran Thi Nhi Ha, Director of the city's Health Department, attributed the situation largely to local people's refusal to be vaccinated. As a result, the community's immune response has been weakened, and the disease is prone to spreading again.

The second reason is that the pandemic is exacerbated by the hot, humid weather. "Many people are not wearing masks like they used to, which could be an opportunity for the infection to flourish because of the change in weather. The infection still spreads throughout the area," Ha told The Hanoi Times.

Hospitals in Hanoi have reported a number of Covid-19 patients. Ha cited Thanh Nhan Hospital in Hai Ba Trung District as an example. "On average, the hospital receives about 10 to 15 cases a day, most of them young people with symptoms such as fever, cough, and sore throat," the director said.

A Covid-19 patient is treated at Thanh Nhan Hospital in Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi. Photo: Duc Tri

“The hospital confirmed only 25 cases throughout March, but in the first ten days of April, the number tripled to 75 patients. More worryingly, the number of inpatients continues to rise, from only 1-2 patients hospitalized last month to about 10 inpatients now. Most of these patients need oxygen support, especially the elderly and those with underlying diseases," Ha said.

The director added that National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Hanoi is currently treating 74 severe Covid-19 patients, including five mechanical ventilation cases and ten oxygen cases.

However, there has been no known change in coronavirus variants in the capital city, Ha noted.

The Hanoi Center for Disease Control (Hanoi CDC) reported that the nation's capital continues to offer Covid-19 vaccinations to locals, including children aged 5 to under 12 years and adults aged 18 years and older, who are indicated for vaccination in accordance with the recommendations of the Ministry of Health (MoH).

Hanoi CDC emphasized that vaccination is still necessary even if Covid-19 becomes a circulating disease like seasonal flu. The center closely monitors and updates information on the pandemic and mutations worldwide and in Vietnam to take appropriate preventive measures.

The number of new Covid-19 cases recorded across the country also shows signs of increasing again. According to statistics from the MoH, in a week from April 5 to April 12, Vietnam officially confirmed 639 more coronavirus-infected cases, the highest number recorded within a week in recent times.

The MoH on April 12 sent an urgent dispatch to provinces and cities across Vietnam to enhance Covid-19 prevention and control.

The dispatch said from April 5-11, the country reported about 90 cases per day, a 3.8-fold increase compared to seven days ago. Notably, the number of patients over 50 accounts for 30.2% of the total cases.

The number of patients hospitalized is also on the rise, while the vaccination rate in several localities is not meeting the set targets, the dispatch stressed.

Therefore, the MoH urged all localities to strictly follow the government's instructions on Covid-19 control to prevent the pandemic outbreak.

All localities must make more efforts to speed up the vaccination process, closely monitor the development of the pandemic and prepare response measures, the ministry said.

It emphasized that hospitals must be prepared to receive, care for and treat all patients, especially high-risk groups such as pregnant women, people with underlying medical conditions, and the elderly.

"Attention must also be paid to raising people's awareness about protecting their health, their families, and their communities, which is essential to stabilize the pandemic," the MoH stressed.