HCMC – The Ministry of Health this evening, September 5, reported 13,137 new Covid-19 cases, including 13,101 domestic infections and 36 imported cases, rising 3,580 cases over yesterday.
HCMC accounted for nearly half of the new locally-acquired infections, at 6,226, followed by Binh Duong with 3,540 cases, Dong Nai with 1,243 cases and Long An with 756 cases.
The new infections in HCMC rose by 2,122 over yesterday, while Binh Duong’s new infections increased by 1,055 cases.
In addition, 345 other cases were detected in Kien Giang, 133 in Tien Giang and 100 in Can Tho. The remainder were found in 30 other localities, each having less than 100 new cases.
The new cases sent the country’s Covid-19 tally in the current fourth wave to 520,013, including 251,414 cases in HCMC, 132,433 in Binh Duong and 28,549 in Dong Nai.
Today, 281 more Covid-19 deaths were reported, taking the country’s total to 13,074. The new deaths included 222 in HCMC, 38 in Binh Duong, five in Tien Giang, four in Can Tho, three in Long An, two each in Binh Thuan, Dong Thap and Khanh Hoa, and one each in Hanoi, Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Dong Nai.
Up to now, more than 288,953 Covid-19 patients in the country have fully recovered in the fourth Covid-19 wave, including 9,211 people discharged from the hospital today.
In related news, secretary of the HCMC Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen, at a meeting with the District 7 Party Committee this morning, said that the city must gradually ease restrictions to live with Covid-19 as it could not practice strict social distancing for too long.
The city will manage to implement the dual goals of fighting the pandemic and resuming production and business activities safely, Nen added.
The city is building a plan to recover the economy based on scientific foundations and experiences of other countries and has assigned scientists, medical experts, sociologists and psychologists to study all related issues for the people to live with the pandemic.
The municipal Party chief said districts 7 and Cu Chi could be chosen to pilot the new normal after September 15.
District 7 Chairman Hoang Minh Tuan Anh said the district had prepared a plan to recover the economy, including the reopening of some essential services and street-front business activities. However, the district will only allow services whose providers have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and conform to anti-pandemic measures.
The district has established a center to study the socioeconomic development model in the new normal stage.
As the district is home to the Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone with some 45,000 laborers, the district proposed the city allow enterprises to temporarily use State-owned land lots to build temporary dorms for workers.
The district leader also suggested reducing and exempting taxes and fees for enterprises and household businesses for this year and the first quarter of next year and continuing providing test kits for household businesses in the first month after resuming operation.
In addition, the city should provide District 7 with 178,000 more Covid-19 vaccine doses to vaccinate foreigners, workers and those involved in production and business activities, especially those having got the first jab.
