COVID-19: Daily count drops by 446 to 14,440 across 61 localities nationwide

A further of 14,440 people across 61 localities nationwide were detected to be positive for the SARS-CoV-2-virus, marking a drop of 446 from the previous day, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Health on December 28.

Hanoi continued led the way for infections with 1,920, trailed by the southern provinces of Tay Ninh with 923 and Vinh Long with 911 cases.

Since the fourth pandemic wave started back in April 29, Hanoi has detected more than 39,000 active cases, of which over 15,000 were recorded outside the community and the remaining case were found to be positive in isolation facilities.

A total of 214 COVID-19 fatalities were also reported over the past 24 hours, thereby taking the national COVID-19 death toll up to 31,632, or 1.9% of all infections.

The fourth wave that hit the country in late April has now seen over 1.67 million COVID-19 cases recorded, whilst more than 1.26 million have since recovered from the disease.

As of December 27, a total of 147,271,054 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered, with over 66.8 million people now being two jabs with both inoculations.

Amid the complicated pandemic situation, the Ministry of Health has issued a document to provincial and municipal health departments, hospitals and medical centres, in which it requests that they take proper counter measures in an effort to reduce the risk of death of COVID-19 patients at medical facilities.

According to the document, the risk of the Omicron variant spreading in the nation is very high. Together with the current viral strains passing among the community, it will increase the risk of COVID-19 infection in people in at-risk groups, such as people over 50 years old, those with underlying diseases, and individuals who have not been vaccinated or have yet to be fully inoculated.