Preparations have been carried out many days to turn this gymnasium, with 2,000 seats, into a vaccination site.

Hanoi has just kick-started its largest COVID-19 vaccination campaign in history, targeting to inoculate more than 5.1 million people with AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. It has been preparing personnel and infrastructure system to become ready for a hi-speed massive vaccination campaign as soon as vaccines arrive in the city. Currently, localities across Hanoi are conducting vaccination in the order of priority. 

This ongoing vaccination phase will take place from August 2-5 or until the allocated vaccines are fully administered.

To reach the capacity of administering 200,000 vaccine doses per day, the city has set up fixed and mobile vaccination facilities throughout the city with a total of 1,200 injection stations and 100 mobile emergency teams. Hanoi currently has 704 vaccination teams, while additional 496 others will be formed soon.

Major General Do Thai Son, head of the Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control of the Hanoi Capital High Command said that the command has completed vaccine storages with a total capacity of keeping 1.5 million doses and medical supplies and solvents serving vaccination activities.

Up to August 3 morning, more than 6.95 million COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Vietnam and 712,864 people have received two shots.

August 2 saw the highest number of doses administered in a day with nearly 538,500 jabs given. During the past week, the number of doses administered daily has ranged from 200,000 to 400,000.

Vietnam plans to vaccinate at least 50% of the adult population (18 years old and above) within 2021 and 70% of the entire population of nearly 98 million by the end of the first quarter of 2022.

In an urgent message sent by Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long to chairpersons of cities/provinces People’s Committee on August 2, Long emphasized the importance of ramping up vaccination at this time and said Vietnam expects to receive many more vaccines late this year. He asked localities to offer vaccines to all people aged above 18 years old with priority given to people working in the front line, elderly people and those having underlying health conditions.

Some photos taken at Trinh Hoai Duc Gymnasium on August 3 morning:

Pham Hai - Tran Thuong

Urgent construction of a 500-bed field hospital in Hanoi

The 500-bed field hospital for the treatment of severe and critical Covid-19 cases is under construction on 3.5 hectares of land in Yen So ward (Hoang Mai district) by the Hanoi Medical University Hospital.

Hanoi begins largest Covid-19 vaccination campaign

Hanoi has started to administer Covid-19 vaccines to people at health centers of districts and towns.