Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has issued a document on strengthening COVID-19 prevention and control during the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday to reduce the risks posed by the XBB.1.5 sub-variant.

The COVID-19 pandemic has so far been controlled, creating a premise for socio-economic and tourism recovery and development, PM Chinh stated in the document.

However, the pandemic is still unpredictable, especially when the variants and sub-variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus are constantly developing.

The XBB.1.5 sub-variant has recently caused new outbreaks in many countries around the world.

To strengthen pandemic prevention and control, especially during the coming Tet holiday, the premier requested ministries, sectors, and local authorities to continue implementing the previous instructions of the Secretariat and the Prime Minister.

This year’s Lunar New Year will start on January 22.

The Ministry of Health and localities should continue to monitor and assess pandemic situations, and make timely and appropriate adjustments in prevention and control measures to minimize the risks brought about by COVID-19 and other common infectious diseases in the winter-spring season.

Focus should be directed on early detection, timely handling of outbreaks, preventing the spread of outbreaks, limiting severe cases and deaths, and promoting vaccination against COVID-19.

Competent authorities should continue raising awareness of the pandemic situation among residents and encouraging them to wear face masks in public, wash hands regularly, and follow the instructions of the health authorities on COVID-19 vaccination.

Disease control measures at border gates must be tightened, especially among people who arrive from areas with serious outbreaks.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the XBB.1.5 sub-variant now dominates other Omicron sub-strains and has spread to about 70 countries as well as caused waves of infections in several parts of Asia.

XBB.1.5 is the most contagious sub-variant of Omicron to date.

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