According to the ministry's report, 56 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 33 in Bac Giang, eight in Hanoi, seven in Bac Ninh, five in Lang Son, two in Dien Bien, and one in Hai Duong.
The 33 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. Local authorities have temporarily closed these four industrial parks for Covid-19 prevention and control.
As of Monday morning, 2,220 locally-transmitted cases have been reported since the new outbreak occurred in the country on April 27, including 952 in the virus epicenter Bac Giang. The outbreak has so far spread to 30 cities and provinces nationwide.
Two imported Indian patients include a 35-year-old woman and a three-year-old baby girl who arrived from India to Hai Phong City on April 24. They were both sent to a local quarantine area upon arrival and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 on May 23.
As of 6 pm on May 23, a total of 2,721 Covid-19 patients had recovered and been discharged from hospital.
So far there have been 42 deaths, most of them being the elderly with serious underlying diseases.
At present, over 173, 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 22, an additional 987 people were given Covid-19 vaccine in Vietnam, raising the total number of vaccinated people in the country to 1,027,659 including 28,961 people having received two doses.