Việt Trì City in Phú Thọ Province started a large-scale vaccination programme on October 10, with the target of administering 11.150 million vaccines. The province declared itself as a Level 2 (medium) risk. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Fifty five cities and provinces across the country have completed their assessment COVID-19 risk levels as of Wednesday, following the new guidelines on safe adaption to the pandemic, as outlined by Government's Resolution 128/NQ-CP and health ministry's instructions.

The guidelines set out three indicators to assess the level of pandemic risk – the number of new community infections, the coverage of vaccinations, and the ability to receive and treat patients at all levels.

Some announced that they are at Level 1, including Quảng Ninh, Lai Châu, Cao Bằng, Lào Cai, Bắc Kạn, Điện Biên, Tuyên Quang, Thái Nguyên, Bắc Ninh, Bắc Giang, Thái Bình, Nam Định, Quảng Ninh, Quảng Ngãi, Phú Yên, Đồng Nai, Bến Tre, Bình Thuận and Sóc Trăng, among others.

Đà Nẵng, Vĩnh Phúc, Phú Thọ, Sơn La, Hải Dương, Hưng Yên, Hà Tĩnh, Đà Nẵng, Quảng Trị, Đắk Lắk, Cần Thơ, Long An, Tiền Giang, Bạc Liêu, Vĩnh Long, Bình Phước provinces etc. are at Level 2.

Other localities that have not yet officially announced their status like An Giang, Bình Định, Gia Lai, Hải Dương, Tây Ninh, etc. but have issued instructions and taken measures to safely live with the pandemic, to revive socio-economic development.

Though the capital city of Hà Nội has yet to formally declare its risk level, the municipal Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC Hanoi) has assessed the city’s first and second indicators (the number of new community infections and vaccine coverage) as Level 1.

HCM City People's Committee on Wednesday asked the health department to soon submit COVID-19 risks assessment of areas in the southern city, which is still seeing an average of 1,000 new cases a day despite high vaccination rate and the reopening plan well under way. The deadline is set to be this Saturday, so that the city's authorities can devise COVID-19 measures in line with the spirit of the central Government's guidelines.

Under Resolution 128, the four levels of pandemic risk are as follows: Level 1: low-risk (new normal) – labelled green; Level 2: medium-risk – labelled yellow; Level 3: high-risk – labelled orange and Level 4: very high-risk – labelled red.

Based on instructions from the Ministry of Health, cities and provinces are responsible for raising or lowering their COVID-19 risk levels. If they raise the pandemic assessment risk level, local authorities will inform citizens and businesses at least 48 hours in advance.

Based on the pandemic situation and vaccination rate, localities can specify limits on the number of participants and scope of activities. Priority will be given to those who have received full two doses of vaccine and those who have recovered from COVID-19.

For example, indoor gatherings will not be allowed to take place, or only with a limited number of participants, in red and orange zones, while in green zones there is no limit on the number of participants.

Road, inland waterway and sea passenger transport will have to stop or limit operations in red and orange zones. The frequency of such activities must be reduced in yellow zones. 

Inter-provincial and intra-provincial transportation of goods are allowed to operate at all four levels, with strict adherence to pandemic prevention and control measures. — VNS