COVID-19: Vietnam records 12,680 more cases, mostly in 2 southern hotspots

Vietnam has confirmed 12,680 coronavirus cases during the past 24 hours, with more than four fifths recorded in Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong, the two largest coronavirus hotspots, the Ministry of Health (MoH) said in its 06.00pm coronavirus update on September 8.

Of the new infections, 7,851 cases were detected in the community through test screening or random testing, 17 tested positive upon returning to Vietnam from overseas, and the rest were documented in quarantine or lockdown areas.

Ho Chi Minh City, the epicentre of the country’s fresh coronavirus outbreak, led all cities and provinces, registering 7,308 cases alone.

It was followed by Binh Duong with 3,172 new cases, Dong Nai 814, Long An 372, Tien Giang 171, Can Tho 83, Dong Thap 62, and Binh Phuoc 61, all in the south.

Khanh Hoa and Nghe An topped central localities, with 48 and 42 cases, respectively, representing sharp declines compared to previous days.

Elsewhere, Hanoi capital confirmed 40 cases, followed by Bac Ninh 5, and Son La 2, while Thai Binh, Hung Yen and Lang Son reported 1 each.

Data from the Ministry of Health show that the past 24 hours saw daily caseload fall by 1,530 cases compared to the previous day, with sharp falls in infection numbers recorded mainly in Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Long An.

As of 06.00pm on September 8, Vietnam has recorded 563,676 coronavirus cases since the start of the outbreak in January 2020, ranking 50 out of 222 counties and territories worldwide.

It has registered 559,346 locally acquired infections following the resurgence of the virus more than four months ago. Of the total, 322,873 patients have been discharged from hospital after making a full recovery from the disease.

The MoH has also confirmed 335 COVID-19 deaths during the past 24 hours, with HCM City and Binh Duong reporting 268 and 34 fatalities respectively.

The September 6 figure has raised the total number of COVID-19 fatalities in Vietnam to 14,135, making up 2.5% of the total number of infections and 0.4% higher than the average death rate globally.