For the first time since the COVID-19 disease broke out, the daily caseload in Vietnam has surpassed the 100,000 mark, hitting 110,301 infections on March 2.
The newly detected infections, recorded in all 63 cities and provinces nationwide, marked an increase of more than 11,500 cases compared to the previous day.
About two thirds of the total were diagnosed in the community, 21 tested positive upon returning from overseas, and the remainder were detected in the lockdown or quarantine areas.
Like previous days, February 22 saw most of the cases reported in the north. Official data from the Ministry of Health show Hanoi capital topped localities in infection number, registering 15,111 cases or 1,791 cases more than the March 1 figure.
Other northern provinces that reported their daily counts of between 2,000 and 5,000 each are Bac Ninh, Quang Ninh, Son La, Hung Yen, Lang Son, Nam Dinh, Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc, Lao Cai, Thai Nguyen, Hai Phong, Bac Giang, Hai Duong, Yen Bai, Ninh Binh, Tuyen Quang, Ha Giang and Thai Binh
Ho Chi Minh City that used to be the largest coronavirus hotspot last summer also confirm a surge in daily caseload at 2,746.
Elsewhere, 4,329 more cases were announced in Nghe An alone, the highest figure in the central locality.
The same day, the Ministry of Health also announced an additional 36,902 recoveries and 114 more coronavirus related deaths in localities across the country.
As of 06pm on March 2, Vietnam has detected 3,709,481 COVID-19 cases since the start of the outbreak, ranking 30th out of 225 countries and territories worldwide.
Of the infected patients, 2,516,785 have been discharged from hospital after making a full recovery from the disease, and 40,452 patients have died of the virus.
More than 195 million vaccine doses have been administered nationwide, with over 75 million people getting their second shot and nearly 40 million people receiving their additional shot/booster jab.