HCMC – The Ministry of Health confirmed 10,040 new Covid-19 cases, including 10,025 domestic infections in 34 cities and provinces this evening, September 19, taking the country’s Covid-19 tally to 687,063.
HCMC recorded more than half of the total number of new domestic infections, at nearly 5,500 cases, followed by Binh Duong with 2,332, Dong Nai with 953, An Giang with 287, Long An with 249, Kien Giang with 151 and Tien Giang with 102, all in the South.
Other localities had less than 100 new infections each.
The country has reported 682,617 locally transmitted Covid-19 infections in the fourth wave of the pandemic, which began in late April.
Up to now, 457,505 Covid-19 patients in the country have fully recovered. Meanwhile, nearly 5,400 patients are currently in critical condition and over 30 patients have to rely on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
The Ministry of Health confirmed 233 more Covid-19 deaths this afternoon, including 182 in HCMC, 31 in Binh Duong, nine in Long An and three in An Giang. Others like Binh Thuan, Tien Giang, Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Quang Binh and Tay Ninh reported one or two fatalities each.
This sent the country’s Covid-19 death toll to 17,090, accounting for 2.5% of the total infections.
Countrywide, there has been a lull in new infections, with 15 localities having undergone two weeks without new Covid-19 cases.
In the Covid-19 epicenter of HCMC, volunteers that are religious leaders, monks, nuns and followers have been an important force in the fight against Covid-19 in the context of the overloaded public health system.
The Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of HCMC on September 18 held a farewell ceremony, the sixth of its kind, for these religious figures and followers who voluntarily take part in anti-pandemic activities in the city.
This time, 19 Christian priests and order sisters and four Buddhist followers have supported medical workers at Trung Vuong Covid-19 treatment hospital in District 10 and a field hospital for Covid-19 treatment in Tan Binh District.
Most Venerable Thich Nhat Tu, deputy head of the Vietnam Buddhist Academy in HCMC and head of the Buddhist volunteers group, said more Buddhist volunteers will also join Covid-19 infection prevention and control activities in the near future.
Since late July, more than 500 religious leaders, monks, nuns and followers have voluntarily served at intensive care units and Covid-19 treatment hospitals across the city.
