On May 14, the Ministry of Health said that, within 28 days, as of April 27, 2025, the number of Cases of Covid-19 worldwide plummeted, only recorded 25,463 cases of infection, down 56.9% compared to the previous period. At the same time, the number of deaths also decreased by 37.9%. Brazil continues to be the country with the highest number of cases during this time, with more than 7,000 cases, followed by him with more than 5,000 cases.
In Thailand, from January 1, 2025 to May 10, 2025, the country recorded 53,676 cases of COVID-19 and 16 deaths. The number of cases in the capital Bangkok is the highest, with 16,723 cases, peaking in the week from April 27, 2025 to May 3, 2025, with 14,349 cases, including 02 deaths. During the week from May 4 to 10, 2025, the number of newly detected cases decreased to 12,453 cases.
The cause of the increase in cases in Thailand is believed to be the spread of Omicron's sub- variant XBB 1.16. However, according to the Thai Ministry of Health, although the number of cases has increased, most of the cases have only mild symptoms and people do not need to worry too much.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said that the XBB 1.16 sub- variation of Omicron has appeared since 2023 and is likely to spread rapidly. However, there is no evidence to suggest that this variety is causing more serious symptoms so far and the WHO has not issued a new global warning regarding COVID-19.
In Vietnam, since the beginning of 2025, 148 cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in 27 provinces and cities, with no deaths. Of which, Ho Chi Minh City is at the top with 34 cases, Hanoi has 19 cases, Hai Phong recorded 21 cases, and many other provinces and cities such as Bac Ninh, Nghe An, Quang Ninh also have relatively high cases. However, the epidemic situation in Vietnam has not had a major outbreak, only recording a slight increase in the past 3 weeks, with an average of about 20 cases per week.
Although the number of cases and deaths from COVID-19 globally is decreasing, the increase in cases in Thailand, especially in densely populated areas such as Bangkok, coincides with the time after Tet, showing the possibility of an increase in the XBB 1.16 sub- variety and large crowds.
In Vietnam, COVID-19 is still a circulating disease. During the April 30 and May 1 holidays, with high intercourse and travel of people, the possibility of an increase in cases in the country cannot be ruled out. However, experts say that the number of severe cases will not increase because the nature of the new variety does not cause more serious symptoms.
In the face of the epidemic situation, the Vietnamese Ministry of Health has proactively strengthened monitoring and implemented epidemic prevention measures at medical facilities and the community.
In addition, the Ministry of Health also recommends that people planning to travel from countries with high numbers of COVID-19 cases should proactively monitor their health to protect themselves and the community.
The Ministry of Health will continue to closely coordinate with the World Health Organization (WHO) to monitor the epidemic situation and propose appropriate and effective epidemic prevention and control measures to minimize the impact of the epidemic in the community.
