COVID-19: Hanoi records close to 1,000 new infections, just behind HCM City

The Health Ministry on December 12 confirmed a further 14,638 positive COVID cases across 58 localities, with Hanoi capital recording 980 fresh cases, just behind Ho Chi Minh City, the nation’s biggest coronavirus epicenter at 1,216.

Some other southern provinces also recorded hundreds of local cases, including Tay Ninh (920), Dong Thap (745), Ben Tre (722), and Ca Mau (675).

Since the start of the fourth pandemic wave in April, Hanoi reported the detection of a total of 18,448 locally transmitted cases, of which 6,902 cases are detected in the community, and the rest in quarantine facilities.

The new infections thereby bring the country's total number of infections since COVID-19 initially broke out in the country back in early 2020 to 1,410,199, ranking 32nd among 223 countries and territories globally in terms of total infections, although it is 148th in terms of infections per one million people.

The nation also recorded 228 COVID-19 fatalities over the past 24 hours, increasing the country's death toll to 27,839, accounting for 2% of confirmed cases.

The same day saw a total of 1,295 COVID-19 patients discharged from hospital, thereby bringing the total number of recoveries up to 1,054,720.

Most notably, more than 132.2 million people have now been vaccinated against the virus, with over 5.7 million people being fully vaccinated with both doses.