Ho Chi Minh City closes first field hospital as cases fall

Ho Chi Minh City has closed a field hospital set up at the dormitory of the National University to treat COVID-19 patients as the number of infections is falling.

A field hospital set up at the Ho Chi Minh City National University has been closed. (Photo: VNA)
A field hospital set up at the Ho Chi Minh City National University has been closed. (Photo: VNA)

This is the first field hospital to be dissolved as part of the plan to close such facilities from mid-October to December.

Those housed at educational institutions will be closed first to restore the original spaces as students are preparing to go back to school.

Concerning vaccination for children aged 12-17, the campaign is scheduled to begin on October 22, said Tang Chi Thuong, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health.

There are 780,000 children in the age group and the administering of the first dose could be completed within a week, given the city’s current capacity and vaccination rate.

Under the government criteria, Ho Chi Minh City is now at the orange level, meaning a high risk of infection, but is expected to be adjusted to yellow with medium risk in the next 2-3 days.

Over the past two weeks, the number of daily new cases in the city has been falling steadily to around 1,000-1,500. Recovered patients also have outnumbered those hospitalised while deaths have fallen sharply.

To date 98% of people aged 18 and above in Ho Chi Minh City have been given at least one dose and 7% have been fully vaccinated.