HCMC – The Ministry of Health confirmed 609 more Covid-19 cases this evening, July 12, taking Vietnam’s total cases reported today to 2,383, a new daily record.
Six of the fresh cases were imported ones in Binh Dinh Province, while 603 others were infected through domestic transmission, with 520 of them found in quarantine centers or areas under lockdown, the ministry said.
HCMC remains the biggest coronavirus hotspot in the latest outbreak with 341 new cases this evening, taking the daily count to 1,764. The neighboring province of Binh Duong reported a triple-digit increase in fresh cases, at 128, while the remaining cases were found in 16 other provinces and cities nationwide.
Overall, the country has as of now recorded 32,199 infections.
In related news, the Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone in HCMC’s District 7 will be put under lockdown starting tomorrow to cushion the spread of Covid-19, as many coronavirus cases have been reported in companies operating at this zone, said Hoang Minh Tuan Anh, chairman of the district’s government.
The district’s government on July 11 wrote to the HCMC Export Processing and Industrial Zones Authority (HEPZA) and the Tan Thuan Company, which owns Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone, putting forward suggestions to intensify Covid-19 preventive measures.
It requested HEPZA and the Tan Thuan Company to inform 29 enterprises operating at the export processing zone that they need to lock down their companies to implement Covid-19 preventive measures, as these 29 firms reported probable Covid-19 cases.
Also, HEPZA was asked to consider suspending the operations of these 29 businesses and adopt Covid-19 preventive measures.
Earlier, two companies at the export processing zone that employ nearly 2,000 workers had decided to temporarily halt their operations in 15 days to combat Covid-19, reported Tuoi Tre newspaper.
Currently, 250 companies employing around 60,000 employees are operating at the Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone.
In another development, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has approved the Health Ministry’s proposal to pilot a plan to quarantine direct contacts of confirmed Covid-19 cases at home as long as the compliance with Covid-19 safety protocols is ensured.
Based on feedback of localities that pilot the plan, the ministry was told to review the implementation of the plan and make proper adjustments.
Earlier, in late June, the ministry gave HCMC guidelines to allow direct contacts of confirmed cases to self-quarantine at home under the condition that their houses meet requirements for home-quarantining.
