COVID-19: Bac Giang turns epicentre as cases skyrocket

The northern province of Bac Giang has become the epicenter of the country’s COVID-19 pandemic, recording 85 out of a total of 129 more locally transmitted cases confirmed by the Ministry of Health (MoH) on May 15 evening.

Eighty-five patients were closely linked to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks at Hosiden company and Quang Chau industrial park which are under a lockdown order.

They all tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus on May 15, and were immediately transferred to Bac Giang field hospital for additional medical surveillance and treatment.

The MoH dispatched a contingent of professionals to Bac Giang to assist the locality with contact tracing and extensive testing.

Meanwhile, 16 people who had previously come into close contact with COVID-19 patients were diagnosed with the virus in Bac Ninh, another coronavirus hotspot in Vietnam.

Elsewhere, 13 tested positive at the K Cancer Hospital in Hanoi, eight in Da Nang, four in Vinh Phuc, two in Lang Son and one in Nam Dinh.

Earlier, the MoH announced 16 more cases at noon and 20 more cases in the morning, raising the total number of community infections during the day to 165, a record high figure.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus has spread to 27 cities and provinces across the country with 953 cases confirmed since it recurred in late April.

The same day, the MoH announced two imported cases returning from Malaysia and Japan.