HCMC – The Ministry of Health this morning, July 6, reported 277 new Covid-19 cases by community transmission, with most of them recorded in HCMC, bringing the country’s tally to 21,312 cases as of now.
Among the new domestic infections, 228 cases were found in quarantine centers or areas under lockdown, the ministry said.
HCMC takes the lead in the number of cases, at 230, followed by Phu Yen with 18 cases, Dong Nai with 11, An Giang with 10, Hung Yen with five, Vinh Long with two, and Ha Nam with one. Especially, Ha Nam reported this fresh case after passing 20 days without locally-transmitted cases.
During the current fourth coronavirus wave, which began on April 27, the country has reported 17,820 domestic infections in 55 provinces and cities.
In a related development, the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap proposed piloting home quarantine for direct contacts of confirmed coronavirus cases as it has detected four infection clusters with 306 locally-infected cases since June 24.
A local official put forward this proposal at a Covid-19-related meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam yesterday, in an effort to ease pressure on local concentrated quarantine centers in the province.
Doan Tan Buu, vice chairman of the provincial government, said that the province has recorded 1,093 direct contacts of confirmed cases, 1,673 indirect contacts of confirmed cases, and is providing medical treatment for 228 cases.
Associate Professor Dr. Tran Dac Phu, former head of the General Department of Preventive Medicine, said that Dong Thap has to enhance its testing capacity, mobilize more local competent forces to speed up contact tracing works, impose lockdown restrictions on a proper scale, and consider limiting large gatherings that pose further community transmission risks.
