HCMC – The Ministry of Health this evening, February 20, reported 47,200 fresh Covid cases, a new single-day record.
Among the latest cases, eight were imported and 47,192 were locally infected in all 63 cities and provinces, up 5,224 cases against yesterday.
Hanoi City took the lead in the number of domestic infections with 5,102 cases, the highest-ever daily spike in the city. Bac Ninh Province came second with 2,360.
Phu Tho, Quang Ninh, Thai Nguyen, Hoa Binh, Nam Dinh, Haiphong, Vinh Phuc, Ninh Binh and Bac Giang detected 1,500-1,981 infections each. Other localities had fewer than 1,500 cases each.
Since the Covid pandemic began in Vietnam, the country has confirmed over 2.78 million Covid cases.
More than 13,400 Covid patients were discharged from hospitals nationwide today, taking the total recoveries to nearly 2.3 million.
The ministry also reported 78 new Covid fatalities in 33 cities and provinces, raising the country’s Covid death toll to 39,501.
Over 456,100 Covid vaccine doses were administered on February 19, taking the total number of doses given to people in the country to more than 191.3 million.
In related news, a coronavirus cluster at a monastery in Ward 5 in HCMC’s Go Vap District where 53 students and one monk were found infected with Covid has been brought under control.
After a student living in the monastery tested positive for Covid, the heath authorities quickly conducted Covid tests on all people there and direct contacts and found 54 Covid cases, a representative of the district government said today.
The monastery was locked down to prevent the spread of the disease, the local media reported.
Most of Covid-infected students have been fully vaccinated against Covid and their health condition is stable. They are being treated and quarantined at the monastery.
The monastery is used as a dormitory for students from other cities and provinces, according to a representative of the Ward 5 authority.
In another development, Buon Ma Thuot City in the Central Highlands province of Daklak has sent an urgent dispatch suspending the return to school of kindergarteners, primary-school students and sixth graders from February 21 until further notice due to a surge in Covid infections among students and teachers.
These students must continue to study online at home after one week of getting back to in-person classes from February 14.
Since schools were allowed to reopen from February 7, the city has reported nearly 500 Covid cases who are teachers and students at kindergartens and primary and secondary schools.
