Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said today [July 30] that the Government will prioritize vaccines for Ho Chi Minh City, the current epicenter.

Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam at the meeting on July 30. Photo: VGP

Dam said the vaccines have been allocated to localities nationwide under the Health Ministry’ plans but the situation in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) needs more than that.

Pointing out that HCMC needs to achieve herd immunity as soon as possible, he asked other localities to support the city’s inoculation program.

In addition, he requested the health ministry to empower the local health sector in its inoculation in order to speed up the process in the most populous city.

On the same day, Deputy Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Duong Anh Duc announced that the local government will vaccinate all people aged above 18 regardless of residents or non-residents.

“The city’s people come from various areas. They all will be vaccinated without exception. It requires localities to make the vaccination as quickly as possible,” Duc told media.

The top goal is to boost the vaccination rate and there will be no discrimination against people who come from other cities and provinces, Duc said, adding that frontline forces, the elderly, and people with underlying diseases remain those of the priority list.

Secretary of the city Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen also targeted to inject two thirds of adults above 18 in August. To achieve the goal, the city needs roughly five million doses in August.

The city’s vaccines are from two sources namely the health ministry’s allocation and the donation.

So far, Vietnam has received about 16 million doses and allocated to all 63 cities and provinces nationwide, according to Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long.

Vaccination in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Duy Hieu/ Zing

Regarding the demand for vaccines, four associations namely the Textile and Apparel Association, the Leather Footwear and Handbag, the Electronic Industries Association, and the Handicraft and Wood Industry Association of Ho Chi Minh City (HAWA) has requested the Government to facilitate the import of vaccines and prioritize the vaccination.

The request was made after they got vaccine supply by the UAE-based Royal Strategic Partners (RSP). The associations said they will bear all cost related to vaccines and the inoculation.

So far, more than 90% of companies belong to the four associations have suspended operations due to Covid-19 though they have awarded contracts until the year-end.

The four aforementioned industries reap export turnover worth US$150 billion annually, accounting for nearly 60% of the country’s total exports, employing more than eight million people and about 12 million others indirectly involve in the sectors.

In another move, on July 30, the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) granted Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) ventilators and patient monitoring devices used for the 1,000-bed Covid-19 treatment center in the Ho Chi Minh City No. 2 Oncology Hospital and testing equipment for Cho Ray Hospital. The relief is worth JPY120 million (US$1.1 million).

Vietnam's Covid-19 cases. Source: MoH. Chart: Minh Vu

On the same day, the Indian Business Chamber in Vietnam (INCHAM) signed a deal with a domestic firm to import an ECMO machine from Germany to donate HCMC. The donation is sourced from Indian nationals living and working in HCMC and the southern region and the support by General Consulate of India in HCMC.

“India and Vietnam have a very strong historical and friendly relationship, always supporting each other in difficult time,” said Consul General of India Madan Mohan Sethi.

On July 30, Vietnam detected 8,622 locally-transmitted coronavirus infections, including half in Ho Chi Minh City and 23% in Binh Duong. The national caseload hit 137,062, including 35,484 have recovered and 1,161 deaths. Thus far, more than 5.58 million vaccine doses have administered.

Hanoi, meanwhile, reported 144 cases today, totaling 1,284. The city’s authority has attached the great importance on precautionary measures in industrial parks and handicraft villages.

To prepare for the worst-case scenario, the capital city gets ready to treat 50,000 infections. In addition to a network of hospitals, it is building a 700-bed makeshift hospital in the downtown.

A 700-bed makeshift hospital in Hanoi under construction. Photo: Duy Khanh/ Kinh Te Do Thi