Vietnam has seen a total of 312,611 infections since Covid-19 broke out in early 2020.

Vietnam reports 10,639 domestic cases on August 19

Vietnam recorded 10,654 infections, including 10,639 domestic and 15 imported cases, in the past 24 hours to 7 pm on August 19, the Ministry of Health announced. The number of daily cases saw a rise of nearly 2,000 from the previous day.

Also on August 19, 5,000 patients were given the all-clear from coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, raising the number of recoveries to 120,059.

The same day, the country logged an additional 380 Covid-19 related fatalities, announced the Sub-committee for Treatment under the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control, bringing the death toll to 7,150, or 2.3 percent of the national count of infections.

Mobile medical stations to be set up in HCM City

Mobile medical stations will be established in the country's current largest Covid-19 hotspots of Ho Chi Minh City, Long An, Dong Nai, and Binh Duong provinces, heard an online meeting on measures to stamp out the pandemic held on August 19 under the chair of Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long. The model aims to give medical services to all people amid the overload of the healthcare system in the localities due to the complicated developments of Covid-19.

In the current pandemic situation, especially during the period of social distancing, the provision of caring and treatment services for Covid-19 patients is a great challenge, he said, stressing that the model can deal with the problem and enable people to access uninterrupted medical services.

The mobile medical stations will give primary health care to people with minimum conditions in terms of equipment and personnel. However, they will follow standards in primary health care services for people with common illnesses. The stations will also manage, take care of and treat Covid-19 patients in the community whose conditions are controllable.

Pagodas urged to move Vu Lan Festival online

The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha has requested that provincial Buddhist Sanghas, Buddhist dignitaries, followers, and pagodas nationwide celebrate the Vu Lan Festival and hold requiems for the deceased virtually via online apps.

The festival is scheduled to fall on August 22 this year, or the 15th day of the seventh lunar month. Buddhist followers are therefore asked to hold the event at their own residence and avoid large gatherings in order to prevent the further spread of the Covid-19 pandemic among the community.

This year will see the Vietnam Buddhist Academy in Hanoi host an online ceremony to mark the occasion of the Vu Lan Festival, with the occasion set to draw the participation of 500 monks and nuns. The ceremony will be broadcast live through the Facebook page of the Vietnam Buddhist Academy, replayed on website khuongviet.vn, along with being uploaded to a number of YouTube channels.

AstraZeneca delivers 1.2 million more doses of vaccine to Vietnam

AstraZeneca has transferred an additional 1.2 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine to Vietnam as part of the 30 million dose contract it has signed with a Vietnamese partner. A plane carrying the vaccine landed at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on August 19 evening, the Ministry of Health said.

This is the ninth shipment that AstraZeneca has delivered to Vietnam as part of a purchase contract between AstraZeneca and the Vietnam Vaccine Joint Stock Company (VNVC) under the auspices of the Ministry of Health. AstraZeneca has so far delivered 6.7 million doses to Vietnam under the contract. Vietnam has also received another 7.6 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine donated by countries and channeled through the COVAX Facility.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 19 phoned AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot, suggesting that the firm speed up vaccine delivery and work on a vaccine program for people under 18.

Vietnam has seen a total of 312,611 infections since Covid-19 broke out in early 2020. The caseload since the fourth wave of outbreaks hit the country on April 27 amounted to 308,599.

As many as 398,031 doses of Covid-19 vaccines were administered on August 18. Nearly 14.36 million people received the first shot, and over 1.56 million others were fully vaccinated with two jabs.

Valerie Mai