Tân Bình Multi-level Field Hospital in HCM City. The city is seeing a rising number of daily deaths from COVID-19, mostly patients over 50 with underlying health conditions. — Photo baotintuc.vn

HCM CITY — HCM City is seeing a rising number of COVID-19 deaths, recording up to 70 COVID-19 deaths daily in the last week, around three times higher than the figure in late October.

Most of the deaths are patients over the age of 50 with underlying health conditions.

Tân Bình Multi-level Field Hospital has been recording around four deaths a day recently, while a few weeks ago the average number was much lower, with many days seeing no deaths at all.

Hồ Hữu Đức, deputy director of the hospital, told VnExpress online newsite that the mortality rate among its 5,000 patients is nearly 7 per cent, mostly patients with underlying conditions at an average age of 72.

These include patients who have not received vaccine shots. Most of these patients are in critical condition.

The city’s Department of Health has allocated more manpower and medical equipment from other hospitals to the field hospital to help it cope with the rising number of patients.

Other hospitals are seeing a rising number of deaths with a few deaths each day, especially among patients with underlying conditions, since the number of hospitalised patients has been rising.

However, the mortality rate is much lower than in August, when more than 300 daily cases were recorded on some days.

Lê Minh Khôi, deputy director of the COVID-19 Intensive Care Centre at HCM City University Medical Centre, said: “Many people are misinformed about the vaccine, thinking that vaccinations are dangerous if they have underlying health conditions, when in fact these are the people who need the vaccination the most.”

HCM City began reopening on October 1, easing restrictions on travel and outdoor activities.

Doctors said people should strictly adhere to pandemic preventive measures, and those who cannot be vaccinated or have underlying health conditions should avoid crowded places.

Phạm Đức Hải, deputy head of the city’s steering committee for COVID-19 prevention and control, said that while the number of new daily cases and deaths is still relatively high, “the city is keeping COVID under control and is prepared to deal with a rising caseload".

Districts around the city have been tasked to sharpen their defences towards the pandemic. For example, District 5 will examine their medical facilities to ensure the long-term operation of local medical stations, and will encourage the private healthcare sector to participate in care for COVID patients.

Meanwhile, Nhà Bè District, which has seen a spike in COVID cases, is keeping a close eye on patients at home, and may impose a lockdown on Phước Kiển Commune if its number of cases reaches 1,000.

HCM City is treating over 14,000 COVID patients in moderate and critical condition in hospitals. More than 6,000 patients are staying at concentrated quarantine zones, and over 66,000 patients are being treated at home. — VNS