Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) Phan Trong Lan, Directorof the Department of Preventive Medicine under the Ministry of Health, saidglobally, the COVID-19 situation is still complicated, and immunity gainedhas been reduced over time.
Meanwhile, COVID-19 isconstantly mutating with new variants and sub-variants that can spread morequickly and avoid the immune system.
The Emergency Committeeof the WHO still holds meetings every three months to review the globalsituation and make recommendations to member countries.
At its latest meeting on October 13, the committee said theCOVID-19 pandemic was still happening worldwide and advised countries tostrengthen their monitoring systems, expand treatment capacities and vaccinecoverage, and update national plans for coping with COVID, Lan said.
He said if Vietnam was to announce the pandemic is over, theremight be several challenges.
Firstly, if a dangerous COVID-19 strain arises and it reduces theeffectiveness of vaccination or avoids the immune system, it is likely to causemore severe cases and deaths, which could overload the capabilities of themedical system.
Secondly, the mobilisation of society sections at all levels tofight the virus would no longer receive the level of attention needed. As aresult, people may get complacent, and it would be difficult to reactivateadministrative measures to prevent and control the pandemic.
Lan added that in the past, with the development of the pandemic,authorities have loosened measures as in the previous period so that societycan live 'normally', people can travel and production can resume.
Specifically, the authorities have stopped medicaldeclaration, stopped the isolation of people on entry and having contact withCOVID-19 patients, expanding home treatment. In addition, the zoning of theoutbreak is carried out in the smallest possible scope.
However, if the pandemic resurges in any localities, strictprevention measures will be quickly applied again to prevent the effect on thewhole society, he said./.
VNA
