HCMC – The Ministry of Health this morning, July 11, confirmed 607 new Covid-19 cases, including 443 cases in HCMC, sending the city’s Covid-19 count to 12,058.
Among the new cases nationwide, there were 606 domestic infections and one imported case in An Giang Province, who was quarantined right after entering Vietnam through the Long Binh International Border Gate.
As for the locally-infected cases, besides the 443 cases in HCMC, 46 others were detected in Tien Giang, 43 in Vinh Long, 39 in Binh Duong and nine in Hau Giang. In addition, Ben Tre and An Giang reported seven cases each, Bac Ninh had three, Binh Phuoc confirmed two and Ca Mau, Quang Nam and Bac Lieu recorded one each.
Up to 434 cases were detected at facilities, centers and in areas under lockdown, while the sources of infection of 172 others remain unknown, including 158 cases in HCMC.
The new cases sent the country’s caseload to 24,932 in the fourth coronavirus wave, which began in late April, which has hit 58 cities and provinces.
According to the Ministry of Health, nearly 3.2 million Covid-19 vaccine doses arrived in Vietnam on July 9 and 10. The ministry has allocated 1.5 million doses to HCMC and some other southern localities.
On July 10, the national Covid-19 vaccination campaign was launched. Under the campaign, which will be conducted from July 2021 to April 2022, all residents aged 18 and over are expected to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
As the number of Covid-19 cases is escalating in HCMC, which is now the country’s largest coronavirus hotspot, the city will prepare 50,000 beds for Covid-19 patients as required by the national steering committee for Covid-19 infection prevention and control, said Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Health Tang Chi Thuong.
At a press briefing on July 10, Thuong said the city had fully prepared 36,500 beds, including 6,500 beds in specialized hospitals and 30,000 beds in field hospitals.
Four field hospitals have been put into operation. The city will establish five more ones at apartment buildings.
Answering a question on the quarantine and treatment of Covid-19 cases at home, Thuong said Vietnam had yet to have this plan.
At the press conference, Tran Hoang Quan, director of the municipal Department of Construction, said the department was preparing 20,000 beds for the quarantine of direct contacts of Covid-19 patients, with 11,500 beds which can be put into use immediately.
Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son, at a meeting with the Government on the same day, said the number of Covid-19 cases in HCMC might continue surging in the upcoming days. A team of the Ministry of Health in HCMC has prepared for the scenario of some 1,600 cases per day.
