With more than 255,000 coronavirus cases, including over 5,000 deaths, documented since early 2020, Vietnam now ranks 80th and 69th in the world in terms of infection and fatality, respectively, the Health Ministry reported.

The ranks are among the 222 countries and territories with COVID-19 statistics, the ministry said on Friday.

With 9,180 new coronavirus cases announced on Friday evening, Vietnam has registered 255,748 infections since early 2020, when the pandemic hit the country, the ministry reported.

The pandemic has now spread to 62 out of 63 cities and provinces of Vietnam, with Ho Chi Minh City topping the list with more than 140,000 infections, followed by Binh Duong with nearing 39,600 and Long An with over 13,200.

The only province in Vietnam has yet to be affected by COVID-19 is Cao Bang, where measures against coronavirus penetration are strictly applied.

The country’s overall COVID-19 death toll had amounted to 5,088 by Friday evening.

Ho Chi Minh City has also led the nation in coronavirus fatality with 4,030 deaths, followed by Binh Duong with 309, the ministry’s data shows.  

Meanwhile, nearly 3,600 COVID-19 patients recovered during Friday, taking the total recoveries since early 2020 to over 92,700.

Since late April, when the pandemic’s fourth outbreak erupted in Vietnam, 251,753 domestic infections have been recorded, with the highly contagious Delta variant of coronavirus dominant in most of the cases.

Among the 62 localities suffering from COVID-19, four have recorded no new infections over the past 14 days, namely Quang Ninh, Bac Kan, Tuyen Quang and Lai Chau.

The country is accelerating immunization to drive back the COVID-19 spread, with more than 14 million vaccine doses having been administered nationwide by Friday evening.

In Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi, whose population is more than eight million, the number of people receiving the first and second jabs reached over 1.7 million and 110,300, respectively.

Meanwhile, among the nine million residents Ho Chi Minh City, over 4.5 million people have received the first shots and some 149,000 others have got two full doses.

The country has targeted to obtain 150 million vaccine doses to inoculate 70 percent of it 98 million population to reach herd immunity, but it has so far got only over 20.5 million does from different sources, including COVAX Facility, contractual purchases and donations, the health ministry reported.

Localities strengthen epidemic control measures

With a determination to put the pandemic under control by September 15, Ho Chi Minh City has announced a plan to boost epidemic prevention and control in the period from August 15 to September 15. This period is divided into two 15-day stages, with specific tasks set for each stage.

Binh Duong Province, one of Ho Chi Minh City’s neighbors, has set up an emergency resuscitation field hospital for COVID-19 patients at Becamex International Hospital in Thuan An City. The new medical facility is well furnished and has 437 intensive care beds.

Meanwhile, the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho has set up 320 teams, each of which has at least six members, for sample taking and rapid testing for coronavirus in the community. These teams are assigned to complete their tasks in nine districts of the city within nine days.

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