Vietnam documents 27 more cases of domestic transmission

The three imported cases involve three Vietnamese citizen returning from the Republic of Korea, and the United Arab Emirates. They have been quarantined for COVID-19 treatment at Cu Chi Field Hospital upon their arrival in Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

Among the domestically-transmitted cases, 20 individuals were registered in Bac Ninh province, two in Bac Giang, two in capital Hanoi, two in Thai Binh province, while one case was found in Thua Thien Hue.

At present the nation has recorded a total of 2,098 domestically-transmitted infections, along with 1,439 imported cases, with the total number of recoveries standing at 2,618.

As many as 67,877 people who came into close contact with COVID-19 patients or who entered the country from pandemic-hit areas are now in quarantine or are self-quarantining nationwide.

May 11 alone saw the the nation record a total of 71 domestic infections.

During a meeting held with the media in Hanoi on May 11, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam underlined the need for citizens to strictly comply with current COVID-19 containment measures. Indeed, the nation has exerted every effort in order to swiftly gain access to vaccine sources as part of a mass inoculation programme.

Furthermore, the country can be viewed to be among the best countries in the world for combating COVID-19, Deputy PM Dam said, adding that Vietnam ranks 214th out of 220 nations and territories worldwide in terms of the number of confirmed cases per one million people.

The Deputy PM also requested that border localities impose strict control measures on acts of illegal entries and exits, whilst urging citizens to strictly follow current anti-pandemic efforts set out by the Ministry of Health.

Elsewhere, Hanoi has already moved to suspend all non-essential services such as bars, nightclubs, and karaoke establishments, as well as outdoor food stalls and cafes as part of efforts to curb the spread of the disease.

On May 11, Hanoi announced a ban on gatherings of more than 10 people and suspended certain food and beverage outlets in vulnerable areas amid rising COVID-19 fears.

At present, the country is facing its most challenging COVID-19 wave yet, with 528 community cases being detected across 26 cities and provinces since April 27.