Health authorities recorded almost 150 locally-transmitted coronavirus infections in Ho Chi Minh City on Friday, as Vietnam has been struggling with the fourth transmission wave – and the worst so far – since late April.
One hundred and forty-nine cases were detected in the community, the municipal Center for Disease Control (HCDC) said in a report.
This is the biggest-ever daily case increase the city has reported since the virus first emerged in the country early last year.
The patients were related to about 20 transmission chains, with a dozen cases showing no clear source of infection.
The southern economic hub has found 1,346 community cases since April 27, when the fourth virus wave broke out in Vietnam.
The pathogen is silently spreading in the community so everyone should adhere to social distancing rules, reinstated on May 31, and limit unnecessary interactions, the HCDC said.
Those finding that they are at risk of infection should immediately contact local medical providers for help, it added.
The Ministry of Health documented 259 local COVID-19 cases nationwide on Friday, including 149 in Ho Chi Minh City, 76 in Bac Giang Province, 16 in Bac Ninh Province, 12 in Binh Duong Province, three in Ha Tinh Province, two in Hoa Binh Province, and one in Lao Cai Province.
A total of 232 cases were logged in quarantined or isolated areas, the ministry noted, adding 80 recoveries were recorded the same day.
Vietnam has registered 9,173 domestic infections in this wave, 1,840 of which has been found since Monday.
Bac Giang is leading with 5,083 patients, followed by Bac Ninh with 1,470 and Ho Chi Minh City.
By comparison, Vietnam 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.
The Southeast Asian nation has reported an aggregate of 12,414 patients, including 10,742 local and 1,672 imported cases.
The number of recovered patients stands at 4,733 while 62 have died, most having suffered critical underlying conditions.
Nearly two million AstraZeneca vaccine shots had been administered and almost 90,000 people had been fully inoculated by Thursday, according to the health ministry's data.
Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!