Medical workers prepare to take samples from residents in HCMC’s Thu Duc City for Covid-19 testing. The Ministry of Health has reported 2,708 new Covid-19 cases, including 1,714 cases in HCMC – PHOTO: THANH HA
HCMC – The Ministry of Health this morning, July 26, reported four imported Covid-19 cases and 2,704 domestic infections in 19 localities, including 507 cases whose source of infection remains unknown.
HCMC, the biggest coronavirus hotspot in the country, continued making up most of the new cases, at 1,714. Its neighboring provinces of Binh Duong, Tien Giang and Dong Nai had 407, 201 and 125 cases, respectively.
In addition, 49 other cases were detected in Vinh Long, 27 in Danang, 26 in Phu Yen, 25 in An Giang and 23 in Binh Thuan. The remaining cases were confirmed in 10 other cities and provinces with each reporting fewer than 20 cases.
The number of new cases confirmed this morning fell 1,269 cases over that yesterday morning.
The new infections sent HCMC’s Covid-19 caseload to 62,139 and Binh Duong’s Covid-19 tally to 8,417.
In total, the country has had 97,370 Covid-19 cases in the current outbreak.
The treatment subcommittee under the national steering committee for Covid-19 infection prevention and control has confirmed 154 more Covid-19 fatalities, raising the country’s Covid-19 death tally to 524, including 489 in the current wave.
Of the total, 129 were reported in HCMC, nine in Dong Thap, seven in Long An, two each in Can Tho and Khanh Hoa, and one each in Ninh Thuan, Bac Ninh, Tra Vinh, Kien Giang and Dong Nai.
In related news, one day after Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son's call to rally medical people nationwide, more than 1,300 people have registered to participate in the fight against the pandemic in HCMC, including 300 doctors, 200 pharmacists and the rest working in other sectors.
According to the Ministry of Health, HCMC’s healthcare sector will dispatch these volunteers to Covid-19 treatment facilities and districts in need of personnel.
In another development, with nearly 700 new Covid-19 cases detected in 18 days in Can Tho City, the municipal steering committee for Covid-19 infection prevention and control has proposed extending social distancing under the prime minister’s Directive 16 for two more weeks instead of ending it on August 1.
According to the committee, the pandemic in the city has been still complicated as the infection sources of many cases remain unknown.
On July 25, the city recorded 150 Covid-19 cases, sending its Covid-19 tally from July 8 to 688. In addition, more than 2,380 people have been put under centralized quarantine and nearly 3,800 others under self-isolation.
More cases have been found in pandemic clusters at Tan An wholesale market in Ninh Kieu District and Tra An Market in Binh Thuy District and in Hung Phu Ward, Cai Rang District.
Some companies in industrial parks in Binh Thuy and O Mon districts have reported new Covid-19 cases.
The city’s number of Covid-19 cases is forecast to continue rising in the coming periods. Therefore, the municipal steering committee for Covid-19 infection prevention and control proposed the municipal government impose more drastic anti-pandemic measures and hand down stricter penalties on violators.
The relevant departments and agencies have suggested developing a new field hospital with 800 beds.
Since July 18, Can Tho and 15 other southern localities have been practicing a two-week stay-at-home mandate.
