HCMC – The Ministry of Health confirmed 4,150 new Covid-19 cases this evening, October 7, marking the third straight day that the country’s daily Covid caseload stayed below 5,000.
The new infections included three imported cases and 4,147 local transmissions in 43 cities and provinces, 209 cases fewer than the day before.
HCMC recorded the biggest number of new infections with 1,730 cases, followed by Binh Duong with 840, Dong Nai with 589 and An Giang with 186. The remaining 802 cases were recorded in dozens of other cities and provinces. Eight provinces have spent one month without new Covid infections.
The country has recorded 826,837 Covid-19 cases since the pandemic broke out early last year, including 822,238 domestic cases in the fourth wave of the pandemic, which began in late April 2021.
This afternoon, the Ministry of Health also confirmed 120 more Covid-19 deaths, taking the total to 20,223. The new deaths included 92 in HCMC, 19 in Binh Duong, five in Ninh Thuan, three in Dong Nai, two in Can Tho and one each in four other provinces.
Up to now, nearly 758,500 Covid-19 patients in the country have made a full recovery. Meanwhile, there are currently over 5,600 Covid-19 patients in critical condition.
Vietnam has administered more than 49 million doses of the Covid vaccines nationwide to date. Some 12.8 million people have received two doses.
Speaking at a regular press conference today, Spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang said Government leaders have agreed on a set of criteria for the recognition and use of other countries’ vaccine passports in Vietnam as proposed by the ministry.
Accordingly, Vietnam accepts the Covid vaccines licensed by the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the European Medicines Agency as well as those approved for emergency use by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health.
The Government has agreed to change the anti-pandemic strategy from zero Covid to safely and flexibly adapting to and effectively controlling the pandemic, Hang said.
Vaccine passports, Covid green pass and digital health certificates are feasible solutions to gradually reopen the economy.
“The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is working closely with relevant agencies to research and draw up a pilot plan to welcome vaccinated tourists to Vietnam, firstly in the southern island city of Phu Quoc,” the spokeswoman added.
