Weekly COVID-19 Update: VN Reports 18 New Cases, 112 Recoveries

The latest cases included seven locally-transmitted cases and 11 imported ones.

All the local infections were confirmed in Hai Duong Province - the epicenter of Viet Nam’s third wave of COVID-19 - who had been quarantined at designated sites before testing positive for the virus, posing no risks to community infection.

The imported cases were Vietnamese nationals who repatriated from Finland (one), UAE (one), Russia (five), the Philippines (one), the U.S. (one), and Germany (one), and one returned home via Ha Tien Border Gate Economic Zone.

As of late March 21, Viet Nam confirmed 1,601 locally transmitted cases, including 908 cases since the resurgence of local infections from January 27.

Thirteen localities have been hit by the third wave of COVID-19, namely Hai Duong (724 cases), Quang Ninh (61), HCMC (36), Ha Noi (34), Gia Lai (27), Binh Duong (six), Bac Ninh (five), Dien Bien (three), Hoa Binh (two), Bac Giang (two), Hung Yen (three), Hai Phong (four), and Ha Giang (one).

Ten out of the above 13 localities have gone 37 days with zero new cases in the community, including Hoa Binh, Dien Bien, Ha Giang, Binh Duong, Hung Yen, Bac Giang, Gia Lai, Bac Ninh, Quang Ninh, and HCMC. 

The Capital of Ha Noi witnessed no community infection over the past 33 days.

The northern city of Hai Phong has also recorded zero locally-transmitted cases over the past 26 days.

The national COVID-19 tally stands at 2,572 with 2,198 recoveries and 35 fatalities.

As of late March 21, the country had vaccinated over 33,891 people who are frontline workers in the 16 localities since March 8 including Hai Duong (16,635), Ha Noi (6,360), Hai Phong (205), Hung Yen (2,571), Bac Ninh (2,233), Bac Giang (2,642), Hoa Binh (887), Ha Giang (176), Dien Bien (115), Da Nang (117), Khanh Hoa (105), Gia Lai (200), HCMC (916), Ba Ria-Vung Tau (87), Binh Duong (398), and Long An (224).  i.

Viet Nam must keep on pursuing the twin goals of effectively combating COVID-19 and boosting economic growth in the “new normal”, said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in a meeting on March 17 morning.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said that from the perspective of the health sector, the “COVID-19 vaccine passport” is essentially a certificate confirming the holder has received two shots of COVID-19 vaccine doses.

The Ministry of Health continues to work with foreign health agencies to shortly participate in a joint effort of the international community to facilitate trade activities and travel for those who have been vaccinated./.

By Khanh Phuong