HCMC – Vietnam’s daily Covid case count soared by over 9,000 against yesterday to reach a new high of 55,879 today, February 22, ưith all but eight cases being domestic transmissions across the country.
Many localities saw a surge in new infections, with eight localities reporting over 2,000 fresh infections each.
Hanoi took the lead with 6,860 cases, soaring by nearly 1,400 from yesterday. The capital city was followed by Bac Ninh with 2,842, Bac Giang with 2,500, Hai Duong with 2,485, Quang Ninh and Hoa Binh with 2,087 each, Phu Tho with 2,084 and Lao Cai with 2,056.
Besides, 11 cities and provinces detected more than 1,000 cases each.
The country’s Covid tally has reached over 2.89 million since the beginning of the outbreak.
This afternoon, the Ministry of Health confirmed 77 more Covid deaths, taking the nation’s death toll to 39,682. Hanoi, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Binh Dinh, Kien Giang and Phu Yen reported the most fatalities today.
To date, more than 2.3 million Covid patients in the country have fully recovered, while there are currently some 3,400 critically ill patients.
The country has administered nearly 192 million doses of Covid vaccine nationwide so far, including over 175 million doses for people aged 18 or older and 16.8 million doses for children aged between 12 and 17.
The Ministry of Health has written to leaders of provinces and cities stressing that minimizing Covid fatalities is currently the top priority amid the surge of new infections.
The ministry said that the numbers of new infections and critically ill Covid patients have recently risen significantly, putting great pressure on the healthcare system.
The country is likely to see the upward trajectory of new transmission in the coming time given the resumption of most socioeconomic activities.
Therefore, the local authorities nationwide must ramp up anti-pandemic measures, including strictly complying with the Government’s Resolution No. 128 issued last October on safely and flexibly adapting to and effectively controlling the pandemic.
They should also further speed up Covid vaccine rollout, meet the required coverage of additional and booster doses for people aged 18 or older and primary doses for those aged between 12 and 17, prepare resources for vaccinating children between five and 11 years old as soon as the ministry issues guidelines, and provide at-home inoculation for people unable to visit vaccination venues.
