Today’s Covid News: Vietnam’s coronavirus cases continue exceeding 10,000

On August 20, Vietnam saw its biggest spike in daily Covid-19 cases with 10,657 and 390 deaths, totaling 323,268 and 7,540, respectively.

This is the second day it reported the 5-digit number, with 39% in Binh Duong and 32% in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC).

Authorized official brings goods to resident home. Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Fatherland Front

On the same day, the country recorded the highest-ever daily people recovered with 12,756, amounting to 132,815 recovered so far.

To date, 16.3 million vaccine doses have been administered with 1.64 fully inoculated.

Concerning the solutions, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed the need for massive testing during the restrictions period to quickly detect infections in the community.

“It’s necessary to conduct testing, even the door-to-door model, to avoid gathering,” Chinh told local authorities late Thursday [August 19].

In another move, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) requested all 63 cities and provinces to slash electricity and water bills for locals and convince tenants to exempt and cut rental to laborers in need.

Regarding the government’s supporting package worth VND26 trillion (US$1.3 billion), only 23% has been disbursed after a month.

Ho Chi Minh City

The epicenter will impose stricter restrictions from August 23, the local authorities said at a press conference today, adding that detailed instructions will be released soon.

Nonetheless, people are not allowed to go out for shopping food. Authorized agencies will offer them at home.

To make the plan possible, it will focus on five main measures, including “whoever stay wherever - stay in the same place” order; spending efforts to treat Covid-19 patients and those on the critical list to avoid fatalities; massive testing, especially in hotspots; vaccination; sufficient supply of essential goods.

In terms of vaccination, the city today asked local authorities to boost vaccination among the elderly aged above 65.

So far, about 5.2 million doses have been administered in the city.

A mobile goods spot in Hanoi. Photo: Khanh Huy/ The Hanoi Times

The city will extend the lockdown by two more weeks starting August 23 after it has maintained the shelter-in-place order for a month.

Local authorities said the extension will enable the city to find infections in the community, cut the infection chain, and gradually stamp out the virus, Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Nguyen Van Phong said today.

Phong said the city will continue the vaccination drive in the coming time with priority given to high-risk groups like frontline workers, guards at residential areas and buildings, sellers, workers, people involved in the supply chain, shippers, and drivers operating public duty.

“Hanoi is racing against time to set up more quarantine zones in outlying districts to improve quarantine capacity to 100,000 people. At the same time, it upgrades medical facilities and emergency together with digitalizing quarantine and treatment work,” Phong emphasized.

On the same day, a wholesale market in Hoang Mai District was open after nearly a month of closure due to Covid-19. This is one of four wholesale markets in Hanoi closed over the past time together with Phung Khoang, Minh Khai, and Long Bien.

To ensure sufficient goods supply, the city will launch bus-based mobile selling spots to be operated by 13 companies and cooperatives, including Japan-invested Aeon Vietnam, South Korea-invested Lotte Vietnam.

Tran Thi Lan Phuong, acting director of the municipal Department of Industry and Trade, said the mobile goods spots will be launched in areas with a high density of workers and residents to avoid people rushing to markets.

Hanoi has 459 wet markets, 28 trade plazas, 1,800 convenience stores, 141 goods chains, nearly 2,400 mobile selling spots, and dozens of thousands of groceries.

Today, the city confirmed 72 new cases, driving up the tally to 2,716.

Covid-19 infections in Vietnam. Source: MoH. Chart: Minh Vu