(binhthuan.gov.vn) From 20/10, COVID-19 is no longer the group A infectious disease and switches to group B according to the provisions of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases 2007.

Decision No. 3896/QD-BYT dated 19/10/2023, signed by Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Lien Huong, Deputy Minister of Health clearly states: Adjusting the acute respiratory infections caused by new strains of Corona virus (COVID-19) from group A infectious disease to group B infectious disease according to the provisions at point b, clause 1 and clause 2, Article 3 of the Law on Infectious Disease Prevention and Control 2007.

Accordingly, COVID-19 prevention and control activities are carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Infectious Disease Prevention and Control for group B infectious diseases.

Decision No. 219/QD-BYT dated 29/01/2020 of the Ministry of Health on adding acute respiratory infections caused by a new strain of Corona virus (nCov) into the list of group A infectious diseases according to the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases 2007 is expired.

According to the Ministry of Health, the revision of the average incubation period reduced from 14 days to 4 days and the period when the disease can not be detected decreased from 28 days to 8 days are based on the scientific basis; developments of the current COVID-19 epidemic situation; and according to recommendations of the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Group B includes dangerous infectious diseases that are rapidly transmitted and can cause death.

According to the Ministry of Health, the classification of COVID-19 as a group A infectious disease in 2020 was based on the criteria specified at point a, Clause 1, Article 3 of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases. Accordingly, group A includes particularly dangerous infectious diseases that have the ability to transmit very quickly, spread widely and have a high mortality rate or unknown cause.

To be able to synchronously and uniformly deploy epidemic prevention and control measures after COVID-19 disease moved from group A to group B, the Ministry of Health is directing units to review COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control measures to consider and decide on the application of measures appropriate to the epidemic situation in the coming time.

When changing COVID-19 to group B infectious diseases: The Ministry of Health and the People's Committees of provinces and cities, based on the actual situation of the COVID-19 epidemic, to declare the end of the epidemic according to the current legal regulations.

Since the beginning of the epidemic, Vietnam has experienced 4 epidemic waves, recorded 11,624,065 COVID-19 cases, ranking 13/231 countries and territories, while the rate of infections per 1 million people, Vietnam ranked 120/231 countries and territories (on average, there were 117,470 cases of infection per 1 million people).

Total number of cured cases: 10,640,953. The total number of deaths due to COVID-19 in Vietnam to date is 43,206 cases, accounting for 0.4% of the total number of infections. The total number of deaths ranked 26/231 territories, the number of deaths per 1 million people ranked 141/231 countries and territories in the world. Compared to Asia, the total number of deaths ranked 7/50 (ranked 3rd in ASEAN), deaths per 1 million people ranked 29/50 Asian countries and territories (ranked 5th in ASEAN).

Vietnam has also injected 266,532,582 doses of COVID-19 vaccine./.

Hữu Tri