Hanoi orders closure of internet shops to control COVID-19
Authorities in Hanoi have ordered the temporary closure of online game and internet shops from February 2 early morning, as part of the efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in the city, according to Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Chu Xuan Dung.
Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Chu Xuan Dung speaks at a meeting of the city's Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Authoritiesin Hanoi haveordered the temporary closure of online game and internet shops from February 2 early morning, as part of theefforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in the city, according toVice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Chu Xuan Dung.
Previously, municipal authorities ordered the closure of barsand karaoke clubs to avoid large crowds, and requiredrestaurants to have partitions.
Addressing a meeting of themunicipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 Preventionand Control on February 1, Deputy Director of the municipal Department ofHealth Hoang Duc Hanh said Hanoi had so far recorded 19 COVID-19 cases linked to the COVID-19 outbreaks in northern Hai Duong and Quang Ninh provinces.
The zoning, tracing and quarantine for F1 cases were urgently implemented, Hanhnoted.
Affirming that this new wave ofCOVID-19 spreads quickly and can become more complicated, Hanh proposed toraise the prevention work by one level.
He said that the COVID-19contact tracing must be quickened, towards swiftly collecting samples and quarantiningof those from pandemic-hit areas.
Hanoi has so far identified about15,000 people relating to the outbreaks in Hai Duong and Quang Ninh, of them10,000 have been tested, he said.
Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Chu Xuan Dung asked relevantagencies to arrange concentrated quarantine for F1 cases, and focus on tracingF1, F2 and F3 cases.
In a meeting with the municipal People’s Committee the sameday, DeputyPrime Minister Vu Duc Dam urged Hanoi authorities to complete the collection ofsamples for those from pandemic-hit areas before January 4./.
Thousands of volunteers are working online to help quickly verify information on F1, F2, and F3 cases linked to COVID-19 infections, heard a meeting in Hanoi on February 1 reviewing the work of the COVID-19 quick information response team.
Vietnam recorded 31 new COVID-19 infections, including one imported case, over the last 12 hours from 6am on February 1, according to the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control.
Vietnam reported another COVID-19 infection in the community, and detected no imported cases within the past 12 hours as of 6am on February 2, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.
Cai Bau island in Van Don district in the northern province of Quang Ninh has been put under temporary lockdown as from 0:00 on February 2 in order to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year’s Homeland Spring, an annual programme held for overseas Vietnamese to celebrate the traditional Lunar New Year (Tet), will feature only one show without audience due to impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to organisers.
Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long has requested Hanoi authorities to consider the establishment of a special hospital to treat COVID-19 patients, given the rapid spread of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.
Vietnam now boasts a nationwide healthcare network with 1,665 hospitals, 384 of which are non-public, supported by local commune- and ward-level stations. At the end of 2024, hospital bed capacity reached 34 per 10,000 people, slightly above the global average.
The 56-year-old patient from Quang Tri province was discharged in stable condition as he no longer experienced shortness of breath and was able to walk, move around, and eat normally.
Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Vu Trung, Director of the Pasteur Institute, said that under the MoU, the two sides committed to promoting diverse and practical collaborative activities, including joint conferences and workshops, exchanges of scholars, researchers and students, sharing academic materials, and the development of specific programmes and projects in scientific research, training, and epidemic prevention.
TytoCare, a leading Israeli telemedicine company based in Netanya, is willing to work with Vietnamese regulators, insurers, and healthcare providers to develop a sustainable digital health ecosystem.
The partnership is under the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding on the development and implementation of the National Action Plan on Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control, signed in Hanoi on July 22.
An estimated 7 million Vietnamese are currently living with diabetes, but about 50% remain undiagnosed, a dangerous gap that is fuelling serious, preventable complications and increasing the burden on the healthcare system.
In 2024, Vietnam achieved 99% coverage for the first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine, up from 80% in 2023. Immunisation coverage in the country has not only rebounded to the high levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic but has now surpassed the rates recorded in 2019.
Health authorities in HCM City have issued an urgent alert after six people died from dengue fever, amid a spike in infections driven by the onset of the rainy season.
During the peak months of July and August 2025, the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) needs at least 90,000 units of blood to supply 180 hospitals in the northern region. However, despite continuous efforts, the reserve blood is still short of 30,000 units.
The Hanoi ceremony highlighted efforts to ensure all citizens, especially women and youth, can access accurate information and healthcare services to make informed reproductive choices.
After such a long time, the law has revealed many limitations, prompting the Ministry of Health (MoH) to gather opinions to amend the law to give more chances to thousands of patients every year.
Currently, cardiovascular specialists from the 108 Military Central Hospital are working alongside a team of Prof.Dr. Jan D. Schmitto, Deputy Director of MHH’s Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery on clinical trials for MCS devices, implanted in heart failure patients either as a bridge to transplantation or as permanent treatment.
The centre not only serves residents living on the island, but also receives tens of thousands of visitors every year, according to Assoc Prof Dr Tang Chi Thuong, Director of the HCM CIty Department of Health.
Not only does Vietnam attract international tourists with its landscapes, culture, and cuisine, but it is also gradually becoming a reliable destination for medical treatment, offering high-quality services at reasonable costs.
Over the past six months, 150 communal health stations in provinces including Ha Giang, Bac Kan, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Yen Bai, Tay Ninh, Hau Giang, Ben Tre and Ca Mau have been equipped with information technology systems. In addition, 117 key provincial healthcare workers have received training, with thousands more expected to follow.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Ministry of Health swiftly launched a telemedicine programme, connecting more than 1,000 medical establishments nationwide. The model, which remains in operation, has benefited tens of thousands of patients, including foreign nationals.
After more than three weeks of intensive treatment, the patient's pneumonia improved, breathing stabilised, sedation was reduced, and the breathing tube was removed. He is now conscious, able to eat orally, and in recovery.
Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Chu Xuan Dung speaks at a meeting of the city's Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control (Photo: VNA) 
