Vietnam says COVID-19 cases reach 810

21 new Covid-19 cases, including 20 linked with the Da Nang outbreak and one quarantined upon arrival from overseas, raised Vietnam’s active infections to 405, the Health Ministry said Saturday evening.

“Patient 790” is a 17-year-old man from the southern province of Binh Duong. On August 6, he landed at Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi on a repatriation flight of Vietnam Airlines from the U.S. and was quarantined upon arrival. He is being treated at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi.

“Patient 791” is a 45-year-old man from Cam Ranh Town in the central province of Khanh Hoa. He had contacted with the person who later became “Patient 751”.

“Patient 792” and “Patient 796” hail from the central province of Quang Nam. The former previously visited the Da Nang Hospital, now a Covid-19 outbreak site, while the latter was a patient at the hospital.

“Patient 793” and “Patient 794” live in the northern province of Bac Giang. They had been in a group of tourists to Da Nang, some of whom were later diagnosed as Covid-19 patients. Both are being treated at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi.

“Patient 795” and those numbered from 797 to 810 are all in Da Nang, the country’s biggest Covid-19 hotspot, including a medical staff.

The additions raised Vietnam’s Covid-19 tally to 810, including 405 active cases. 10 patients have died.

Since July 25 when locally transmitted cases returned to Vietnam after more than three months, 353 of such cases have been recorded in 13 cities and provinces, including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. All are linked to the epicenter Da Nang.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc told a meeting on Friday that the risk of the disease spreading widely in the community in Vietnam remains “very high” for at least the next two weeks.

Provincial and municipal leaders are permitted to decide on specific measures in order to promptly and effectively minimize infection rates while medical facilities must stay vigilant to prevent new outbreaks, the PM said.

The global Covid-19 death toll has climbed to more than 772,700.

By Le Nga @ VNExpress