Vietnam will pilot treating asymptomatic coronavirus infections at home in the epicenter of Ho Chi Minh City.

The move is aimed to ease the burden on the health system in the most populous city after it recorded more than 16,500 cases on July 13.

Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Truong Son, head of the ministry’s Task Force in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) said he supported the plan proposed by the local authorities.

A poor man in Ho Chi Minh City receives an allowance from local authorities. Photo: Ha An

Under which, patients who are subject to the home treatment include health workers, those who finish the quarantine period and pose no transmission threats, and young people of good health.

He said that the ministry will likely allow asymptomatic patients to return home for further medical surveillance after 10-14 days treated in the hospital. The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests that Covid-19 patients without symptoms can be discharged after 10 days of treatment in clinic centers.

Dr. Truong Huu Khanh supported the idea, saying that it’s a good treatment model as up to 80% of the total cases in HCMC are asymptomatic.

"Treating asymptomatic cases at home both helps ease the burden of the health system and create psychological comfort to patients," Khanh said.

On the same day, the capital city of Hanoi began closing restaurants, coffee bars, and barbershops while physical exercises and crowd gatherings of more than 10 people are suspended from July 13. In addition, it will set up 22 Covid-19 checkpoints in the entrance gates or roads leading to the city from July 14 to prevent the spread of the virus.

Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Chu Ngoc Anh said imposing stricter restrictions is aimed to prevent disease transmission but not blocking socio-economic activities.

Covid-19 infections in Vietnam. Source: MoH. Chart: Minh Vu

Vaccines and vaccination

Today, Vietnam offered vaccination to more than 1,000 employees of foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Of them, more than 100 are foreigners.

Michael Brosowski, a founder of Blue Dragon, who was named as one of 2011’s CNN Heroes, said 70 officials and staff, including three foreigners, of his organization, have got vaccinated this time.

Heidi Quine, Bear and Vet Department Director at Animals Asia, said she felt grateful for the Government of Vietnam’s privilege given to foreigners working in the country amid the thin vaccine supply.

On July 13, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Japan will ship out one million Covid-19 vaccine doses to Vietnam and the volume is scheduled to arrive in the country on July 16. The upcoming batch will total the relief for Vietnam to about three million doses within a month.

One day earlier, Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Takio Yamada and Vietnamese Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long signed an exchange note on the vaccine supply.

Simon H. Roy, Risk Management Advisor at Canada-based Développement international Desjardins (DID) gets vaccinated on July 13. Photo: Ngoc Le

Daily infections

On Tuesday [July 13], Vietnam confirmed additional 2,296 cases of local transmission found in 26 cities and provinces, of which, Ho Chi Minh reported the highest number with 1,797.

Today is the second day Vietnam recording more than 2,000 infections daily, lifting the country’s tally to 34,500, including 9,553 convalescents and 128 deaths.