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Earlier 72 patients were reported in the morning and noon reports.
According to the ministry's report, all of the newly-confirmed patients are locally-transmitted cases most of whom were detected in quarantine sites or areas under lockdown in some northern provinces, including 39 in Bac Giang, 25 in Bac Ninh, two each in Lang Son, Dien Bien, and Thanh Hoa, and one each in Danang, Hai Duong, and Thai Nguyen.
The 39 cases in Bac Giang were recorded at some industrial parks of Van Trung, Dinh Tram, Song Khe-Noi Hoang, and Quang Chau which have reported a large outbreak over the last few days. Earlier today 45 infections were also reported in the province. Local authorities have temporarily closed these four industrial parks for Covid-19 prevention and control.
As of Saturday evening, 2,035 locally-transmitted cases have been reported since the new outbreak occurred in the country on April 27. The outbreak has so far spread to 30 cities and provinces nationwide.
With these new infection cases, the number of Covid-19 patients in Vietnam has increased to 5,086, including 3,605 locally-transmitted cases.
As of 6 pm on May 21, a total of 2,721 Covid-19 patients had recovered and been discharged from hospital.
So far there have been 41 deaths, most of them being the elderly with serious underlying diseases.
At present, over 179, 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.
On May 21, an additional 5,587 people were given Covid-19 vaccine in Vietnam, raising the total number of vaccinated people in the country to 1,026,672 including 28,961 people having received two doses.