Coronavirus: Vietnam tightens restrictions as cases surge; tough choices loom for Malaysia’s doctors

Ho Chi Minh City is expecting to carry out 100,000 tests each day, as it implemented social distancing on Monday for the first time since last April

Meanwhile, Malaysia’s worsening outbreak may force doctors to choose who receives treatment in intensive care, according to the country’s health chief

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Motorists wear face masks in Hanoi, Vietnam, amid a fresh coronavirus outbreak. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 7:31am, 31 May 2021Updated: 10:03pm, 31 May 2021

Vietnam on Monday suspended more inbound flights, tightened curbs in its biggest city and urged private procurements of coronavirus vaccines, as it races to secure supplies and tackle an outbreak that has seen its cases double in the past month.

Vietnam has yet to start mass inoculations but its government on Monday said it must remove obstacles to vaccine access, including by allowing local authorities and companies to procure vaccines themselves, via the health ministry or 27 authorised importers.

Vietnam has reached out to foreign countries for help with vaccine procurement, including the United States.

“There must be measures to secure the vaccines at the earliest,” Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam told a cabinet meeting. “All hurdles must be lifted, and all related issues must be addressed.”

After successfully containing outbreaks for most of last year, Vietnam has reported infections rising sharply and has detected several highly transmissible variants, plus a new one announced on Saturday that had elements of the variants first identified in Britain and India.

Health minister Nguyen Thanh Long said the target of securing 150 million doses of vaccines this year was “feasible”.

Vietnam has authorised those of AstraZeneca and Russian vaccine Sputnik V. Long on Saturday said Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech had applied.