Today’s Covid News: Vietnam records highest-ever daily coronavirus infections

Vietnam recorded the highest-ever daily coronavirus infections of 14,224 on August 30, with 6,050 in Binh Duong and 5,889 in Ho Chi Minh City.

The newest cases drive up the country’s caseload to 449,489, including 50.7% recovered. Meanwhile, the death toll stays at 11,064, including 315 confirmed today.

As of August 30, more than 19.7 vaccine doses have been administered, including 2.5 million people fully vaccinated.

Health workers in Hai Duong leave for HCMC. Photo: Bao Hai Duong

More health workers sent to outbreak epicenters

Nearly one thousand health workers from different parts of Vietnam continue leaving for the pandemic fight in Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong, the two epicenters of the coronavirus outbreak.

Today [August 30], health professionals and medical lecturers, and students from the north, central region, and the Mekong Delta left for the most populous city and the manufacturing hub that record respective more than 215,000 and 110,000 infections.

The rate of infections per 100,000 inhabitants in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) and Binh Duong is respective 4,489 and 2,338 while the ratio of deaths per 100,000 inhabitants is 97 and 35, respectively.

Both localities are facing a shortage of health workers due to the rising infections. The Ministry of Health has sent more than 16,000 health workers, including military medics mostly from the north, however, the figure has not yet met the localities' needs.

As Covid-19 transmission remains widespread, six southern provinces namely Binh Duong, Long An, Tay Ninh, Tien Giang, Ben Tre, and Tra Vinh have decided to extend the lockdown by two more weeks to mid-September.

Currently, 20 localities are placed under lockdown include Hanoi and all 19 cities and provinces in the south that includes HCMC. All the southern areas are imposing the curfew from 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM except for people on duty.

With about 35 million inhabitants, the southern region accounts for 35% of Vietnam’s population and 42% of the national gross domestic product (GDP).

Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam talk with sanitation workers in HCMC on August 30. Photo: VGP

Ho Chi Minh City

Today, the city allows ride-hailing shippers to work in 8 very high risk districts after one week of ban. The shippers need to take test every morning. The free-of-charge testing is provided at mobile medical stations.

All shippers working in HCMC are received at least one jab.

In the first days of the shelter-in-place order, the city banned shippers in very high risk areas to curb the virus transmission. The army will shop for residents in those places. However, lack of manpower makes the distribution of necessities exacerbated.

In another move, the city has upgraded hotlines to support residents in pandemic-related issues namely emergency, consultation, treatment, and social welfare. Some hotlines namely 18001722, 1022, and 115 are available for the calls.

However, there remains a large number of people failed to connect with the lines due to overload, Le Quoc Cuong, deputy director of HCMC Information and Communications Department, said, adding that the number of calls varies around 60,000 per day.

Local authorities suggested to publicize numbers of leaders, police, army, healthcare at grassroots levels on social networks and loudspeakers.

Famous comedian Xuan Bac (R) and Huyen My, 1st runner-up Miss Vietnam 2014 (C) live stream charity meals for vulnerable people in Hanoi on August 30. Photo: Khanh Huy/ The Hanoi Times

Hanoi

Some infection chains in the city become complicated with more infections. Today, the city detected 110 cases, totaling more than 3,100.

Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Dinh Tien Dung attributed the rising cases to high population density in the downtown. For that reason, social distancing becomes typically important in curbing the transmission.

Accordingly, the city has deployed mobile police teams to patrol the city. Each team includes 15 members who are mobile police, traffic police, and criminal police conduct patrols all day night to enforce safety rules.

Currently, an infection chain in Thanh Xuan District worries people because of the increasing cases daily. So far, nearly 400 cases are linked to the chain.

Dr. Nguyen Thu Anh, Country Director, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Sydney University, Australia, attributed the widespread transmission there to high population density in narrow space.

“Statistics by the Hanoi CDC showed that half of the cases detected there are those with symptoms. It means that viral load is high, posing threat to residents. It requires timely intervention to prevent residents from being infected,” she said.

Vietnam's coronavirus cases. Source: MoH. Chart: Minh Vu