A health worker disinfects a school in Hanoi
According to the ministry's report, the newly found patients are all locally-transmitted and linked with the hotspot Hai Duong province. They included one in Bac Ninh, two in Hoa Binh, two in Gia Lai, four in Hai Duong provinces, and five in Hanoi.
The new virus outbreak has so far spread to eight provinces and cities including Hai Duong, Quang Ninh, Hanoi, Gia Lai, Hoa Binh, Bac Ninh, Hai Phong and Ho Chi Minh City.
With these new infection cases, the number of imported Covid-19 patients in Vietnam has increased to 1,781, including 221 locally-transmitted cases in just four days since the new outbreak was reported in Hai Duong on January 28.
As of 6 am on January 31, a total of 1,456 Covid-19 patients had recovered and been discharged from hospital. There have been 35 deaths, most of them being the elderly with serious underlying diseases.
At present, overy 23,000 people who had close contact with Covid-19 patients or returned from virus-hit areas are being monitored at hospitals, quarantine facilities, and at home.