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According to the ministry's report, all of the new patients are infected in the community including one in Hanoi, one in Quang Ninh Province and 38 in Hai Duong Province.
Authorities in Hai Duong have imposed social distancing in the province from today February 16.
The new patients are now being treated at the Hanoi-based National Hospital for Tropical Diseases and hospitals in Hai Duong and Quang Ninh provinces.
With these new infection cases, the number of Covid-19 patients in Vietnam has increased to 2,311, including 719 locally-transmitted cases reported in 13 cities and provinces since the new outbreak started in Hai Duong on January 28.
As of 6 pm on February 16, a total of 1,573 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, as many as 128,080 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.
