According to the ministry's report, 210 of the newly-confirmed patients are locally-transmitted cases most of whom were detected in quarantine sites or areas under lockdown in some localities including 150 in Ho Chi Minh City, 20 in Phu Yen, 13 in Binh Duong, 10 in Quang Ngai, three in Danang, three in Vinh Long, two in Long An, two in An Giang, two in Tay Ninh, and one each in Nghe An, Dong Thap, Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, and Lam Dong.
Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City admitted that the virus fight in the city is facing great challenges as more chains of transmission of unknown origin have been uncovered, and many cases are asymptomatic.
As of Friday evening, 14,715 locally-transmitted cases have been reported since the new outbreak occurred in the country on April 27, including 5,710 in Bac Giang Province and 4,723 in Ho Chi Minh City. The outbreak has so far spread to 52 cities and provinces nationwide.
Nine imported patients are all Vietnamese people who recently returned from abroad. They had been sent to a quarantine area in Tay Ninh Province upon arrival and are now being treated at a local hospital.
With these new infection cases, the number of Covid-19 patients in Vietnam has increased to 18,121 including 16,285 locally-transmitted cases.
As of 6 pm on July 2, a total of 7,395 Covid-19 patients had recovered and been discharged from hospital.
So far there have been 84 deaths, most of them being the elderly with serious underlying diseases.
At present, over 200,000 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 July 1, an additional 39,537 people were given Covid-19 vaccine in Vietnam, raising the total number of vaccine doses used in the country to over 3.8 million. The number of people who have received two doses has risen to 204,006.
