HCMC – Vietnam’s Covid-19 cases soared by 248 to reach 21,560 as of this afternoon, July 6, according to the Ministry of Health.
There were six imported cases and 242 locally-transmitted cases among the new infections. The six imported cases were quarantined in Quang Nam and Kien Giang provinces upon their arrival in Vietnam from overseas.
Among the 242 domestic infections, HCMC continued to account for the most, at 209 cases. The capital city of Hanoi came second with 10 cases while the remaining cases were reported in Phu Yen, Long An, Thanh Hoa, Bac Giang, Lang Son, Bac Ninh, and Ha Nam.
The ministry’s national steering committee for Covid-19 infection prevention and control this morning announced four more Covid-19 deaths, who were all old women with severe underlying medical conditions, thus raising the country’s fatalities due to the virus to 94 to date.
In HCMC, currently the country’s biggest coronavirus hotspot in the fourth coronavirus wave with 7,114 Covid positive cases by this afternoon, many recently-detected Covid-19 patients were linked to wet or wholesale markets, prompting the authorities to close or lock down parts of these places to prevent the spread of the disease.
Aside from Binh Dien wholesale market in District 8 which was shut this morning, Thi Nghe market in Binh Thanh District was also put on lockdown for disinfection and conducting Covid-19 tests for all vendors, as a man running a household business near the market tested positive for the coronavirus.
Bui Thi Hong Que, chairwoman of the district’s Ward 19 where the market is located, told Tuoi Tre newspaper that the man usually visits Binh Dien wholesale market to purchase fish for resale. On July 5, he went to Hoan My Hospital for taking a Covid-19 test after experiencing shortness of breath. His testing result came back positive on the same day.
According to the HCMC Department of Industry and Trade, 104 local wet markets and one wholesale market suspended operations, while 57 supermarkets and convenience stores shut down as of July 2 as Covid-19 is spreading.
Since July 2 to date, more wet markets and supermarkets were forced to halt operations temporarily as they were linked to confirmed Covid-19 cases or did not meet anti-virus requirements, including Binh Dien wholesale market, Thi Nghe market, Lotte Mart supermarket in District 7, and the markets of Go Vap, An Nhon and Xom Moi.
