HCMC – The Ministry of Health reported 117 additional Covid-19 infections yesterday evening, May 17, including one imported case and 116 locally-transmitted cases mainly in Bac Giang and Bac Ninh provinces.
All of the fresh locally-infected cases had been sent into quarantine earlier, the ministry added.
With the latest infections, the country’s community transmission caseload in the latest coronavirus wave since April 27 has risen to 1,321 in 27 provinces and cities. Bac Giang still tops the list with 411 cases, followed by Bac Ninh with 290.
At a meeting gathering the ministry’s working team and the provincial government of Bac Giang yesterday, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son said that the ministry is ready to assist this northern province in fighting the coronavirus.
Also, he will propose the minister establish a taskforce in Bac Giang to promptly offer anti-Covid-19 support to the province.
In a related development, Nguyen Viet Nhung, director of Vietnam’s National Lung Hospital, said that after the hospital reported its third Covid-19 case last night, it decided to stop receiving patients from tomorrow, except for those in need of emergency treatment.
Nhung added that two doctors of the hospital were confirmed positive to the virus on May 14. On May 16, one technician of the hospital tested positive for the virus.
This is the 12th hospital in the country to shut down wholly or partially due to Covid-19 since May 5.
