HCMC – The Ministry of Health today, October 17, reported 3,193 new Covid-19 cases, including 18 imported cases and 3,175 domestic infections in 48 localities, down 36 cases over yesterday.
HCMC as usual saw the biggest caseload, at 1,059, up 269 cases over the day earlier. Its neighboring provinces of Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Tay Ninh had 537, 517 and 156 cases, respectively.
In addition, An Giang confirmed 117 cases and Kien Giang reported 93 cases. Other localities recorded fewer than 70 cases each.
The country has had 864,053 Covid-19 cases, including 859,372 cases in the current fourth Covid-19 wave, which began in late April.
Today, 1,340 Covid-19 patients were released from hospitals, raising the country’s total recoveries to 791,844.
Meanwhile, 63 Covid-19 deaths were confirmed, including 38 in HCMC, 13 in Binh Duong, two each in Dong Nai, Kien Giang, Soc Trang and Daklak, and one each in Quang Ngai, Bac Lieu, Binh Thuan and Dak Nong.
Thus, Vietnam has reported 21,194 Covid-19 deaths.
HCMC on October 16 started administering Russia’s Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine to residents in Thu Duc City. This is the fifth Covid-19 vaccine that the city has administered to its residents, following AstraZeneca, Vero Cell, Pfizer and Moderna.
A representative of the Thu Duc Medical Center said the vaccine was supplied by a local enterprise. The number of residents registered for the Sputnik V vaccine is small.
The vaccine has been offered at three inoculation sites: Region 2 Medical Center, Thu Duc Wholesale Market, and Post and Telecommunications General Hospital.
Sputnik V is produced by Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology and has been approved for use in 70 countries and territories.
The Vietnamese Ministry of Health approved the vaccine for emergency use on March 23. It is a two-dose vaccine with an interval of three weeks.
In related news, more than VND30.4 trillion has been disbursed from the State budget for the fight against the pandemic, including over VND25.2 trillion used by ministries and State agencies, according to a report of the national anti-Covid steering committee delivered at an online meeting on October 17 between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and localities.
Of the amount, the Ministry of Health used VND21.2 trillion, including VND15.5 trillion for Covid-19 vaccines.
In addition, nearly VND5.2 trillion was used to support localities this year.
