HCMC – The Ministry of Health announced 3,552 more Covid-19 cases this evening, July 25, sending the day’s spike to 7,525 cases, a fall of 1,700 compared to the previous day.
The new cases were all domestic infections reported in 31 provinces and cities nationwide, including 594 cases whose source of transmission remained unknown.
HCMC as usual took the lead in the case number, at 2,227 cases. The neighboring province of Binh Duong came second with 368 cases, followed by Tay Ninh with 186 cases, Ba Ria-Vung Tau with 126 cases, Dong Nai with 119 cases. Meanwhile, 26 other provinces and cities accounted for the rest.
Overall, the country recorded a total of 7,525 locally-infected cases and six imported cases today, with domestic infections mostly detected in HCMC with 4,555 cases, Binh Duong with 1,249 cases, and Tay Ninh with 313 cases.
Also, the Covid-19 domestic infection tally in HCMC has exceeded 60,000 cases while that of Binh Duong surpassed 8,000 cases.
As infections in HCMC remain complicated, municipal authorities have decided to impose harsher restrictions effective tomorrow, banning all people from venturing out after 6 p.m. everyday until further notice. All outdoor activities are suspended, except ambulance services, HCMC Chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong said, citing a decision of the city’s Party Committee tonight.
The health ministry, meanwhile, reported that 1,755 coronavirus patients were declared free of the disease on the same day, raising the country’s total recoveries to 19,342. Further, 130 others are receiving intensive care treatment, while 17 other critically-ill patients require ECMO support.
In related news, the Covid-19 Field Hospital No.8 in HCMC’s Thu Duc City has discharged 730 recovered Covid-19 patients since it was put into operation on July 13, according to Do Kim Que, who is deputy director of Thong Nhat Hospital and is joining the management of the field hospital.
The Field Hospital No.8, which was set up at a resettlement apartment building in An Khanh Ward of Thu Duc City, has nearly 4,000 beds. It is adequately equipped with medical facilities to treat Covid-19 patients. It also set up an intensive care unit to handle severely-ill patients who are waiting to be transferred to higher-level hospitals.
Que added there were some cases whose health conditions were stable upon their admission to the hospital but they encountered respiratory failure four hours later. Thanks to the presence of the intensive care unit at the hospital, these cases received oxygen therapy and were treated promptly, thus avoiding the possible risk of fatality.
In another development, Tran Van Lau, chairman of the Soc Trang provincial government, has issued a dispatch in which long-haul truck drivers, drivers’ assistants and loading and unloading staff who travel along with the driving team will be allowed to be prioritized for vaccination against Covid-19.
Tran Khac Tam, president of the provincial Enterprises Association, this afternoon said that after receiving the dispatch, he immediately informed the association’s members and local businesses of the news, Tuoi Tre Online reported.
“This is great news for businesses. Many enterprises have registered for the vaccination. The amount of vaccine doses is still modest, but the action of the provincial leader has shown the care to the business community and encouraged businesses to jointly overcome the hardship caused by Covid-19,” Tam said.
Earlier, Chairman Tran Van Lau yesterday sent the dispatch to the provincial Enterprises Association, asking the association to urge long-haul goods transport operators to make a list of drivers, drivers’ assistants and loading and unloading staff to get vaccinated.
This is reportedly the first province in the Mekong Delta to offer Covid-19 vaccines to long-haul drivers, drivers’ assistants and loading and unloading staff.
Up to now, Soc Trang has reported 117 coronavirus cases caused by community transmission.
During the social distancing period in the latest outbreak, goods transport vehicles have faced obstacles in traveling through provinces and cities, especially in the south where the pandemic is raging, as each locality adopts different travel restrictions.
