The Ministry of Health proposed to declare the end of the COVID-19 epidemic in group A and abolish a number of documents on epidemic prevention and control.

On September 27, the Ministry of Health announced that it had submitted a document to the Government on the issuance of the Prime Minister's Decision to declare the end of the COVID-19 epidemic in group A and abolish a number of documents on COVID-19 prevention and control issued by the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control and the Prime Minister;

In the Reports, the Ministry of Health said that over the past 3 years, to prevent and control the COVID-19 epidemic, the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, the National Assembly, the Government, the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Health and ministries, branches and localities have issued documents directing epidemic prevention and control activities, including many unprecedented specific measures, so when changing groups, it will entail the need to synchronously adjust the epidemic prevention and control measures currently being applied.

In order to implement Resolution No. 80/2023/QH15 on continuing to implement a number of policies in the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic and the use of drug and pharmaceutical ingredient circulation registration certificates that expire from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2024, documents issued under this Resolution will expire according to this document, including a number of Decisions and Directives issued by the Prime Minister. At the same time, based on the Prime Minister's opinion in Official Dispatch No. 5033/VPCP KGVX dated July 7, 2023, the Ministry of Health has carried out procedures to issue, under its authority, a Decision to adjust acute respiratory infections caused by a new strain of Corona virus (COVID-19) from group A infectious diseases to group B infectious diseases.

The Ministry of Health said that based on the legal basis and practical basis of COVID-19 prevention and control work, the Ministry of Health has completed the draft Decision of the Prime Minister to declare the end of the COVID-19 epidemic in Group A and to abolish a number of documents on COVID-19 prevention and control issued by the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control and the Prime Minister. Specifically, Decision No. 447/QD-TTg dated April 1, 2020 of the Prime Minister on the declaration of the COVID-19 epidemic is abolished, according to which the COVID-19 epidemic is no longer in Group A; a number of documents on COVID-19 prevention and control issued by the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control and the Prime Minister are abolished; Directives and Decisions issued by the Prime Minister are abolished.

According to the draft Decision attached to Submission No. 1247/TTr-BYT of the Ministry of Health, along with the announcement of the end of the COVID-19 epidemic in group A, and the implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control work in group B according to the provisions of law, it is clearly stated that: In case a COVID-19 patient is being treated before the effective date of this Decision, payment will continue to be applied according to the provisions of Resolution No. 80/2023/QH13 dated January 9, 2023 of the National Assembly on continuing to implement a number of policies in the prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic and using the registration certificate for circulation of drugs and pharmaceutical ingredients that expires from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2024 until the end of the treatment period.

The Ministry of Health also said that to ensure consistency in the implementation of policies and measures to prevent and control the epidemic when moving from group A to group B,Documents under the authority of the Ministry of Health and documents under the authority of the Government that are developed and issued related to the implementation of group transfer and declaration of the end of the epidemic must take effect at the same time.The Ministry of Health has submitted Document 1248/Ttr-BYT to the Government on the issuance of a Government Resolution to abolish a number of Resolutions on COVID-19 prevention and control issued by the Government. The Ministry of Health proposed that the Government abolish all 6 Resolutions and abolish part of 2 Government Resolutions related to epidemic prevention and control.