Vietnam's Ministry of Health has required localities nationwide to stop spraying disinfectant in outdoor spaces as an anti Covid-19 measure, calling it wasteful and unfriendly to the environment.

The request is based on the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

A military task force sprays disinfectant on a Hanoi street. Photo: Duy Khanh

"The use of large quantities of germicidal chemicals for outdoor spraying can harm the environment and waste chemical reserves to be used for pandemic prevention," the ministry said.

The WHO and CDC warned against public disinfection as such practice is not only ineffective but also poses health risks to local residents and harm to the surrounding environment, the ministry reported.

The health ministry said that outdoor spaces like streets and pavements are not considered as "reservoirs of infection" of Covid-19.

The spraying should only be done in narrow spaces where Covid-19 cases have been detected, and the volume of chemicals used must be controlled to ensure safety for human beings as well as the environment, the ministry stressed.

Since the pandemic erupted in Vietnam in early 2020, mass disinfection drives have been carried out in public areas in several provinces and cities.

In the ongoing wave that broke out in late April, Vietnam has logged more than 161,431 Covid-19 cases. Among the latest infections, 1,998 cases were detected in Ho Chi Minh City, which has become the largest epicenter in the country, with 100,557 cases reported so far.