HCMC – The Ministry of Health this evening, March 24 confirmed 120,000 fresh Covid cases, with eight of them imported and 119,992 locally transmitted in 62 cities and provinces, down some 8,000 cases against yesterday, marking a drop in new Covid cases for the eighth straight day.
Among the domestic cases, Hanoi City recorded the highest number at 12,485, down 520 infections day-on-day, followed by Daklak with 4,463, Bac Ninh with 4,292, Phu Tho with 4,277 and Nghe An with 4,184. Other localities detected fewer than 4,000 infections each.
The latest Covid cases have raised the country’s Covid caseload to nearly 8.6 million, with over 4.8 million Covid patients having fully recovered from the disease.
The ministry also reported 70 new Covid fatalities in 30 cities and provinces, taking the Covid death toll to 42,145.
Vietnam has administered more than 204.2 million doses of the Covid vaccine, with over one million shots given to people nationwide on March 23.
In related news, HCMC has allowed fully-vaccinated people who are direct contacts of Covid cases to attend in-person classes or return to work.
The direct contacts who have fully recovered from the disease in the last three months are also subject to the new guidance issued by the municipal government today.
However, these people must strictly follow Covid safety protocols, monitor their health for at least 10 days after they come into close contact with Covid patients and take a Covid rapid antigen test on the fifth day.
Besides, they are required to travel to their workplace or school by their private vehicles, the local media reported.
These people are also told to avoid direct contact with vulnerable groups such as people with underlying health conditions, those aged over 50, pregnant women and unvaccinated people.
The decision was made following the HCMC Health Department’s proposal as the city has put the pandemic under control and most of residents aged over 12 have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
In another development, only Ben Tre Province remains pegged as at extremely high risk of Covid transmission, while five other provinces–Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Binh Dinh, Phu Tho and Yen Bai– are at high risk.
Hanoi City and HCMC remain at low risk of Covid spread.
