Unified to transfer Covid-19 from group A infectious disease to group B

Shifting Covid-19 from group A infectious disease to group B. Vietnam is one of the countries deploying Covid-19 vaccine on a large scale. (Source: SK & Real Estate)

The National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control agreed to transfer Covid-19 from a group A infectious disease to a group B infectious disease. at the same time, issue guidance on the application of measures to prevent and control the Covid-19 epidemic in accordance with group B epidemics and the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) to develop a plan for control and sustainable management of the Covid-19 epidemic in the period of 2023-2025 in accordance with the new situation.

Following the direction of the National Steering Committee, the Ministry of Health would like to give the following grounds:

Basis for advising on promulgating the decision to transfer Covid-19 from group A to group B and at the same time issuing guidelines for implementation

Comparing the provisions of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases and the monitoring of epidemic developments in Vietnam, the Covid-19 disease no longer meets the criteria for group A infectious diseases, the Ministry of Health proposes to apply the provisions of Clause 2, Article 3 of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases to adjust the Covid-19 disease from group A to group B.

According to WHO, SARS-CoV-2 is still a virus with a fast transmission rate. However, in Vietnam, the number of cases has now decreased by 8,5 times compared to 2021, 48 times lower than that of 2022 (from the beginning of 2023 to May 29, 5, 2023 cases were recorded, 85.493 cases recorded on average monthly).

In addition, the death rate from Covid-19 in the first 5 months of 2023 dropped sharply to 0,02% compared to the mortality rate of 2021% in 1,86, 2022% in 0,1, equivalent to or lower than the mortality rate of some group B infectious diseases being recorded in Vietnam in the last 05 years such as: Dengue fever (0,022%), Malaria (0,017%), Diphtheria (0,102%), Pertussis (0,417%).

It is clear that the causative agent of Covid-19 is the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The current Covid-19 disease meets the criteria of a group B infectious disease as specified at Point b, Clause 1, Article 3 of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases: Group B includes dangerous infectious diseases capable of rapid transmission and possibly death.

The classification of Covid-19 as a Group A infectious disease at the time of 2020 is based on the criteria specified at Point a, Clause 1, Article 3 of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, specifically: Group A includes particularly dangerous infectious diseases capable of very fast transmission, wide spread and high mortality rate or unknown pathogens.

To be able to synchronously and unify measures to prevent and control the epidemic after the Covid-19 disease has changed from group A to group B, the Ministry of Health is directing units to review measures to prevent and control the Covid-19 epidemic to consider and decide on the application of measures suitable to the epidemic situation in the coming time.

Authority to publish translations

When Covid-19 is a group A infectious disease: Implement Point c, Clause 2, Article 38 of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases: "The Prime Minister announces the epidemic at the request of the Minister of Health". Based on this point and the situation of the Covid-19 epidemic, in 2020, the Ministry of Health has advised the Prime Minister to announce the Covid-19 epidemic nationwide in Decision No. 447/QD-TTg dated April 1, 4.

When converting Covid-19 to a group B infectious disease: complying with Points a, b, Clause 2, Article 38 of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, the President of the Provincial People's Committee shall announce the epidemic at the request of the Director of the Department of Health; The Minister of Health shall announce the epidemic at the request of the President of the provincial People's Committee when two or more provinces or centrally run cities have announced the epidemic.

Thus, when the Covid-19 epidemic is transferred to group B, it is no longer subject to the Prime Minister's announcement of the epidemic; Therefore, Decision 447/QD-TTg dated April 01, 4 is no longer relevant. The Ministry of Health shall report to the Prime Minister for consideration and promulgation of the Decision announcing the expiration of Decision 2020/QD-TTg.

After the Decision announcing the expiration of Decision 447/QD-TTg was issued, the Ministry of Health and the People's Committees of the provinces and cities continued to assess the local epidemic situation and take measures to respond to the epidemic as prescribed.

About the conditions and authority to announce the end of the Covid-19 epidemic

Conditions for declaring the end of the Covid-19 epidemic:

To comply with Clause 1, Article 40, Section 1, Chapter IV of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, Clause 1, Article 5 of the Prime Minister's Decision No. 02/2016/QD-TTg dated January 28, 01 and Article 2016 of the Prime Minister's Decision No. 1/07/QD-TTg dated February 2020, 26, two conditions are required: No new cases of disease are detected after 02 days; Implemented anti-epidemic measures specified in the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases.

Authority to announce the end of the Covid-19 epidemic:

Complying with Clause 2, Article 40 of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases: “The person competent to declare the epidemic has the right to announce the end of the epidemic at the request of the competent authority”.

When Covid-19 is in a group A infectious disease:

Point c, Clause 3, Article 5 of the Prime Minister's Decision No. 02/2016/QD-TTg dated January 28, 01: "The Minister of Health shall decide to consider and request the Prime Minister to declare the end of group A infectious diseases, for cases of epidemics that the Prime Minister has announced epidemics".

When converting Covid-19 to a group B infectious disease:

The Ministry of Health and People's Committees of provinces and cities shall base themselves on the actual situation of the COVID-19 epidemic to announce the end of the epidemic in accordance with current law.

Therefore, the People's Committees of the provinces/cities should direct specialized agencies to review the epidemic situation, announce the epidemic, and announce the end of the epidemic in accordance with the law; Implement measures to prevent and control the epidemic according to the provisions of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases and the guidance of the Ministry of Health and ministries and branches; review local documents and instructions on Covid-19 prevention and control to annul and amend according to their competence.

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