The Vietnamese National Assembly (NA)’s Standing Committee on August 6 agreed to allow the government to make its own decisions in some fields that have not yet been stipulated in the law for the fight against Covid-19. 

Accordingly, the Government will be eligible to set up facilities to receive and treat Covid-19 patients, cut administrative procedures to serve the fight, offer free-of-charge treatment to Covid-19 patients, and issue restriction orders when needed.

Notably, the NA stressed the importance of the research and production of Covid-19 vaccines together with tech transfer and import of Covid drugs.

It requested the Government to “create all favorable conditions for research and technology transfer and ensure equality in technology transfer, production of vaccines, and treatment drugs.”

An American national is vaccinated in Thao Dien Ward, Thu Duc City, HCMC on August 6. Photo: Zing

Ho Chi Minh City

The epicenter continues building two more makeshift hospitals capacity of 500 beds in total to meet the treatment need. So far it has 41 treatment facilities capacity more than 46,000 beds.

Deputy Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Phan Van Mai said that the city’s biggest problem is the treatment facilities, which have been almost operating at full capacity, causing so much burden to the healthcare system.

To ensure a smooth supply chain, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam today worked with some big companies to tackle their problems and find the best way to maintain production.

The companies in the list are Vissan JSC, one of the leading suppliers of meat and food in Vietnam, supplying products to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) and the southern region; Vifon – one of the largest instant noodle producers; and TikiNow Smart Logistics specializing in goods transport.

On August 6, HCMC extended the inoculation campaign to about 800 foreigners in Thu Duc City. 

A quiet street in Hanoi's downtown is under the strict social distancing order. Photo: Khanh Huy/ Phap Luat Xa Hoi

Hanoi

On August 6, Hanoi decided to extend the lockdown to two more weeks starting from August 8 as half of the daily dozen coronavirus infections remain found in the community. Over the past two weeks, more than 70 supermarkets, wholesale and wet markets, and mini stores have closed due to Covid-19.

Explaining the restriction extension, Deputy Secretary of the city’s Party Committee Phan Van Mai said Hanoi remains at high risk of transmission as it is a hub of trading and has connectivity with surrounding affected areas. Seriously, Covid-19 has attacked important sectors like industrial parks, hospitals, wet markets, supermarkets, and residential places.

If the social distancing stops, the anti-pandemic achievements might be lost. The extended restrictions help locate, trace, isolate and handle the affected areas.

On the same day, a batch of nearly 600,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines arrived in HCMC, totaling nearly four million doses in the 30-million dose contract signed between the domestic company and the supplier.

Daily infections

Today, Vietnam reported 8,320 more infections of community transmission, including half in HCMC and one-fourth in Binh Duong.

So far, more than 32% of the total 193,381 have recovered while the death toll stayed at 3,016.

As of August 6, over 8.06 million doses of vaccines have been administered, including 820,000 fully inoculated.

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