Reducing COVID-19 infections, fatalities – top priority: meeting

The top priority now is to reduce COVID-19 infections and fatalities, as the pandemic is expected to develop more complicatedly in Ho Chi Minh City and other southern localities in the coming days, with a rise in cases, especially critical ones.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long (Photo: VNA)
Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long (Photo: VNA)

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long on July 21 chaired an online meeting with the health ministry’s forces that are assisting Ho Chi Minh City, and Binh Duong, Tien Giang, Dong Thap, Dong Nai and Long An provinces in the pandemic combat.

To ease hospital overload, the participants agreed to classify COVID-19 cases, including suspected cases, patients and severe cases.

Those in critical conditions will be treated at medical facilities with ICUs or the city COVID-19 ICU hospital. Meanwhile, the others will be admitted to temporary hospitals or district-level medical facilities.

Long said the classification would help to improve COVID-19 treatment efficiency.