COVID-19: Daily count skyrockets to 69,128, tally surpasses 3 mln

Daily coronavirus infections hit a new record high of 69,128 in Vietnam on February 24, an increase of nearly 9,000 cases compared to the previous day, the Ministry of Health said in its coronavirus update at 06pm.

These cases were detected in 62 out of 63 cities and provinces across the country, with 48,179 diagnosed in the community, or roughly 70% of the total.

Only nine people tested positive upon their returning from overseas, and the remainder were recorded in the lockdown or quarantine areas.

Like previous days, February 24 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 8,864 new cases - the highest figure in a single day.

Other northern localities that recorded between 1,000 and 5,000 cases each include Bac Giang, Hai Duong, Son La, Phu Tho, Nam Dinh, Hoa Binh, Bac Ninh, Vinh Phuc, Hung Yen, Hai Phong, Ninh Binh, Yen Bai, Lao Cai, Ha Giang, Thai Nguyen, Lang Son, Thai Binh, and Tuyen Quang.

The past 24 hours also saw new infections in Ho Chi Minh City – used to be the largest coronavirus hotspot last summer – increase sharply to 2,466. Random testing shows 76% of the cases had contracted the Omicron variant.

The same day, the Ministry of Health also announced an additional 19,062 recoveries and 111 more coronavirus related deaths in localities across the country.

As of 06pm on February 24, Vietnam has detected 3,041,506 COVID-19 cases since the start of the outbreak, ranking 30th out of 225 countries and territories worldwide.

Of the infected patients, 2,339,784 have been discharged from hospital after making a full recovery from the disease, and 39,884 patients have died of the virus.

The country has so far confirmed 205 Omicron cases in 18 localities, including 97 cases confirmed in Ho Chi Minh City, 27 in Quang Nam, 20 in Quang Ninh, 18 in Hanoi, and 11 in Khanh Hoa.

More than 192 million vaccine doses have been administered nationwide, with over 75 million people getting their second shot and approximately 37 million people receiving their additional shot/booster jab.