Patients cast votes for legislators, councilors from Vietnam's COVID-19 quarantine ward
Sunday, May 23, 2021, 12:34 GMT+7
Coronavirus patients at a hospital in one of Vietnam's infection epicenters cast their votes in a national legislative election on the weekend, as the country is grappling with the worst-ever outbreak.
Eligible voters across Vietnam take part on Sunday in a one-day national election to select their representatives at the country’s 15th National Assembly, as well as local-level people’s councils.
On Saturday, 112 coronavirus patients who are sequestered for treatment at Makeshift Hospital No. 1 in Bac Ninh Province, located in the northern region, were allowed to cast their ballots early on site.
Some 100 medical staff members at the hospital also cast their votes at voting booths erected on the premises.
Patients were seen queuing up along a hallway of the quarantine ward while keeping a safe distance of two meters.
They had been informed of the election guidelines before casting their votes.
The ballot box, as well as each of the ballots from the hospital, will be disinfected before counting.
Normally, election results will be announced in around two weeks.
Dr. Nguyen Dieu Huyen, head of tne COVID-19 treatment unit at Makeshift Hospital No. 1, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper this is the first time she has ever seen people cast votes in a national election in a hospital.
Notwithstanding the uncanny situation, medical practitioners and patients at the hospital complied with epidemic prevention guidelines in their voting.
Vietnam has recorded 5,141 COVID-19 cases as of Sunday afternoon, with 2,721 recoveries and 42 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.
The country has documented 2,089 local infections in 30 provinces and cities since April 27, the beginning of the fourth wave of COVID-19.
Bac Giang Province is taking the lead with 862 patients, followed by Bac Ninh with 426, Hanoi with 283, and Da Nang with 151.
The Southeast Asian country confirmed 106 community cases in the first wave from January 23 to April 16, 2020, 554 in the second from July 25 to December 1, 2020, and 910 in the third from January 28 to March 25, 2021.
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| This photo shows the COVID-19 treatment ward at Makeshift Hospital No. 1 in Bac Ninh Province, Vietnam, May 22, 2021. |
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| Medical staff work at a voting location along the hallway of the COVID-19 treatment ward at Makeshift Hospital No. 1 in Bac Ninh Province, VIetnam, May 22, 2021. |
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| Medical officers prepare a ballot box, ballots, and other polling necessities at Makeshift Hospital No. 1 in Bac Ninh Province, VIetnam, May 22, 2021. |
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| A quarantined voter reads candidates’ profiles before casting his ballot at Makeshift Hospital No. 1 in Bac Ninh Province, Vietnam, May 22, 2021. |
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| A quarantined voter casts his ballot at Makeshift Hospital No. 1 in Bac Ninh Province, VIetnam. May 22, 2021. |
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| Quarantined voters queue up to cast ballots in a national legislative election at Makeshift Hospital No. 1 in Bac Ninh Province, VIetnam, May 22, 2021. |
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