HCMC – Vietnam’s Covid caseload has reached nearly 1.59 million as the Ministry of Health this evening, December 22 confirmed 16,555 new Covid cases.
Among the latest cases, 33 were imported and 16,522 were locally infected in 60 cities and provinces, up 206 cases over yesterday.
Hanoi City took the lead in domestic infections with 1,646 cases, followed by Ca Mau with 1,193, HCMC with 979 and Tay Ninh with 923.
Vinh Long, Khanh Hoa, Dong Thap, Can Tho and Bac Lieu detected around 670-850 cases each, while the rest were found in other localities.
Since the ongoing fourth wave of the pandemic, which began in late April, the country has reported over 1.58 million domestic cases, with some 1.2 million Covid patients having recovered from the disease.
The ministry also reported 210 new Covid fatalities, including 46 in HCMC, 27 in An Giang, 17 in Binh Duong, 15 in Tien Giang, 13 in Tay Ninh, 12 in Dong Thap, 11 each in Soc Trang and Can Tho, and 10 in Kien Giang. Twelve other localities reported fewer than 10 deaths each.
The country’s Covid death toll has now risen to 30,251, accounting for 1.9% of the total Covid cases.
In related news, HCMC will set up a Covid treatment facility at the Tan Binh Industrial Park for workers with no or mild symptoms who are working at 251 firms in the park.
The facility, with a capacity of 100 beds, will have an emergency room, a laboratory, a quarantine area and a staff room. The Covid treatment facility is expected to be put into service after December 27.
Since the Covid pandemic emerged in Vietnam, the Tan Binh Industrial Park has reported over 460 Covid cases, according to the HCMC Department of Health.
Earlier, two Covid treatment facilities had been established at the Linh Trung II export processing zone and the Saigon Hi-Tech Park to treat workers infected with Covid there.
In another development, Lam Dong Province has decided to allow 10th and 11th graders to return to in-person classes on December 23, according to the Lam Dong Department of Education and Training. In addition, secondary schools in the province will reopen from December 27.
Schools were told to meet Covid safety requirements to ensure the safety of students and teachers after reopening.
Earlier on December 20, 12th graders in the province got back to school after attending online classes for long months to prevent the spread of the pandemic.
Elsewhere in Ninh Thuan Province, the provincial government has issued a new regulation allowing people coming into close contact with Covid patients to self-quarantine at home for seven days instead of staying at concentrated quarantine centers for 14 days.
