HCMC – The Ministry of Health confirmed 26,032 new Covid-19 cases this evening, February 10, with nine of them imported and 26,023 locally-infected, up 2,070 cases day-on-day. The daily infections have thus spiraled up strongly after the Tet holiday.
The new domestic infections were found in 61 localities, with Hanoi recording the highest number at 2,887, followed by Nghe An with 1,749, Haiphong with 1,366, Hai Duong with 1,329 and Nam Dinh with 1,189.
Meanwhile, 1,079 cases were detected in Bac Ninh, 1,073 in Hoa Binh, 996 in Thanh Hoa, 939 in Danang, 876 in Bac Giang and 847 in Vinh Phuc.
Binh Dinh, Thai Nguyen, Ninh Binh and Phu Tho had 744, 735, 715 and 628 cases, respectively. Other localities detected fewer than 500 infections each.
In the fourth Covid wave, Vietnam has had over 2.4 million Covid cases, including some 2.2 million recoveries.
Today alone, nearly 10,000 Covid patients were announced to have fully recovered from the disease.
The Ministry of Health also confirmed 74 more Covid deaths, taking the nation’s death toll to nearly 38,700.
In related news, over 60% of parents have agreed to let their children aged between five and 11 get Covid-19 vaccines, according to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Health.
The survey, conducted on more than 415,000 parents nationwide, showed that only 1.9% of respondents disagreed to allow their children to get vaccinated, while 29.1% said they were considering and 7.6% of others said they would agree with the vaccination if it is compulsory.
The Ministry of Health is completing procedures to sign a contract with Pfizer to buy 21.9 million Covid vaccine doses for children aged between five and 11 this quarter.
According to the ministry, 44 countries and territories worldwide have vaccinated or had plans to vaccinate children in that age group.
Dr. Pham Quang Thai, head of the northern expanded immunization office under the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, said the survey’s results showed that many parents had not trusted scientific information, while incorrect information had been rampant, hindering the anti-pandemic fight.
Sharing the view, Associate Professor Duong Thi Hong, deputy head of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, said the healthcare sector must propagandize the safety and effectiveness of Covid vaccines for children to get the trust and consensus of parents.
Before the vaccination campaign, medical workers will be trained to vaccinate children, handle possible side effects and instruct parents and teachers to monitor the health of children after the vaccination.
Like those aged between 12 and 17, students aged from five to 11 will be vaccinated in schools, while those who do not go to school will get vaccinated at medical stations. Children suffering from underlying illnesses will get the vaccine in hospitals.
