More than 900 domestic coronavirus infections were recorded in Ho Chi Minh City from 6:00 am on Saturday to 6:00 am on Sunday, with authorities tracing the sources of over 100 cases, according to a local disease control agency.

The city documented 714 local cases through Saturday and added 217 patients at 6:00 am on Sunday morning, the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC) said in two reports for the two days.

Vietnam publishes daily patient counts at 6:00 am, 12:00 pm, and 6:00 pm.

Health authorities are tracing the sources of 119 infections while the rest were found in centralized quarantine centers or isolated areas, the HCDC elaborated.

The city is proceeding with its mass screening of the community for infected patients so health workers have reported a daily increase of more than 200 cases over the past week.

Local authorities have put enhanced social distancing measures in place for over a month, shutting down non-essential businesses, banning crowded events, and ordering eateries to offer takeout only.

Vietnam has been struggling with the fourth and worst virus wave since April 27.

The nation has detected almost 16,000 locally-acquired infections ever since, with Bac Giang Province accounting for 5,658 of the cases and Ho Chi Minh City for 5,652, according to the Ministry of Health.

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. 

Overall the Southeast Asian country has documented 19,310 local and imported cases since the pathogen first hit it early last year.

More than 7,600 patients have recovered from COVID-19 whereas 84 have died, mostly with critical pre-existing conditions.

Over 3.8 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses have been administered to priority groups, including frontline workers, police, soldiers, teachers, and factory workers, among others.  

A total of 218,602 people have been fully vaccinated.

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