HCMC – The Ministry of Health this evening, September 23 reported a lull in daily Covid-19 caseload, with 9,472 fresh cases, including 9,465 domestic infections in 33 provinces and cities, down 2,060 cases day-on-day, while 236 new Covid fatalities were also recorded.
Among the locally-infected cases, HCMC recorded the highest number at 5,052, down 383 cases against yesterday, taking the city’s caseload in the current fourth wave of the pandemic to 358,707.
Binh Duong came second with 2,764 infections, down 1,415 cases, followed by Dong Nai with 760, Long An with 190, Kien Giang with 163 and An Giang with 109. Other localities detected fewer than 100 new cases each.
The latest infections have raised the country’s Covid count in the ongoing fourth wave to 723,962, with over 488,000 patients having made a full recovery.
Among the 236 deaths, 175 were reported in HCMC, 37 in Binh Duong, seven in Long An, six in Dong Nai, three in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, two each in Binh Thuan and Tay Ninh and one each in Tien Giang, Binh Dinh and Hanoi. Up to date, the country has had 18,017 Covid deaths.
Vietnam has seen 16 provinces and cities undergo 14 consecutive days without community transmission.
In related news, Hanoi City will step up efforts to seek Covid vaccine sources for children by November, while raising the second dose coverage rate, Hanoi Chairman Chu Ngoc Anh told the second session of the 16th Hanoi People’s Council for the 2021-2026 term today.
As of September 20, the city had administered over 6.3 million Covid vaccine doses for adults, with some 700,000 people having received two shots, the latter accounting for 11.2% of the city’s adults.
In another development, as Khanh Hoa Province has brought the Covid pandemic under control, the province will ease social distancing measures from September 24, the province’s anti-virus steering committee said today.
Over the past two weeks, the province has detected no new Covid infections in the community, while some cases have been found in quarantine centers or areas under lockdown.
Under the decision on the relaxation, residents are allowed to exercise in parks and join some outdoor sports activities.
The province is considering allowing groceries and barbershops to reopen, the local media reported.
Khanh Hoa Province will allow students to return to school after October 15 as all teachers and staff at schools are set to get a second dose in mid-October.
Besides, the province will reopen intra-province tourism from October 15, while asking tourists to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or get a first shot and test negative for the disease.
