Hanoi, January 23 (VNA) – The Ministry of Health has asked provinces and cities nationwide to create favourable conditions for people to return to their hometowns to welcome the Lunar New Year (Tet), citing the large coverage of COVID-19 vaccination.

The ministry made the request in a document sent to the People’s Committees of provincial-level localities on January 22.

It noted that 100 percent of the people aged 18 and above have received at least one shot of COVID-19 vaccines, 95.6 percent the second, and 18.6 percent the third. Meanwhile, 94.1 percent of the children aged 12 - 17 have been given at least one dose, and 82.2 percent the second dose.

The ministry also requested localities to increase monitoring and promptly detect suspected cases in the community so as to take timely action to curb the spread.

By the end of January 21, a total of 174,965,411 doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered in the country, including 78,843,924 being the first dose, 73,764,594 the second, and 22,356,893 the third./.