Responding to Lao Dong, Mr. Nguyen Minh Tuan - Deputy Director of the Quang Ninh Department of Health - said that in 2024, the whole province of Quang Ninh had about 323 cases of COVID-19 but all were at a mild level.
From the beginning of 2025 to now, there have been about 26 cases of COVID-19 but they are also mild and are mainly detected after being hospitalized for examination of respiratory diseases.
That shows that the number of people infected with COVID-19 in the community may be large. However, according to Mr. Tuan, the COVID-19 cases were recorded as mild and from October 19, 2023, the Ministry of Health officially adjusted COVID-19 from group A infectious diseases to group B according to the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases 2007.
This confirms that COVID-19 is no longer a particularly dangerous infectious disease with a rapid spread rate and a high mortality rate as before, so preventive measures are taken according to regulations for group B, in line with the current risk level.
"This is to keep people from panicking but also not to be subjective. People should proactively prevent and combat, and should still wear masks in crowded places and in hospitals, because this is also a way to ensure hygiene and prevent other respiratory infections. People with COVID-19 will not have to be social isolated as before, but for patients with COVID-19, hospitals will route them to isolate and treat them separately" - Deputy Director of the Quang Ninh Department of Health Nguyen Minh Tuan said.
Previously, on May 19, the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management (Ministry of Health) sent an official dispatch to hospitals, Departments of Health of provinces and cities and health units under ministries and branches, requesting to strengthen the detection, reception and treatment of COVID-19 patients.
Medical facilities need to urgently update and review response plans according to forecast scenarios, fully prepare facilities, isolation areas, equipment and medical supplies. At the same time, measures to prevent the spread must be tightened, especially to protect vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, the elderly and seriously ill patients.
Environmental sanitation and departmental arrangement also need to be focused on to ensure a clean, airy treatment space, improving the effectiveness of care and epidemic prevention.
People may be concerned about COVID-19 quarantine, but this is only a necessary measure to prevent the spread in hospitals, not a wide-scale quarantine outside the community.
