COVID-19: 305 new cases recorded over 24 hours, HCM City makes up half
 

Ho Chi Minh City, the busiest and most populous city in Vietnam, has recorded 161 out of a total of 305 new cases confirmed across the country during the past 24 hours, according to the Ministry of Health on June 25.


Labelling COVID-19 test samples in the lab.
Ninety-four locally acquired infections were documented in 10 localities nationwide over the past six hours, said the MoH in its 06.00pm COVID-19 update.

HCM City took the lead with 54 cases, followed by Binh Duong (8 ), Tien Giang (8), Nghe An (6), Da Nang (5), Bac Ninh (4), Bac Giang (3), Hai Phong (2), Dong Thap (2), Lang Son (1), and Thai Binh (1).

Eight imported cases were also detected within six hours, including four in HCM City, three in Quang Nam and one in Tay Ninh.

Data from the MoH show as many as 305 people have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus during the past 24 hours, with HCM City alone logging 161 cases.

HCM City is the centerpiece of the latest coronavirus outbreak in southern Vietnam. It has recorded nearly 2,400 cases during the current outbreak, of which 68% are asymptomatic, making it difficult for virus detection and prevention.

Initial reports indicate the city detected 667 cases alone from 06.00am on June 24 to 06.00am on June 25, a record high figure.

Elsewhere in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap, local authorities moved to suspend the provincial Centre for Disease Control after one of its staff tested positive on June 25.

Healthcare workers also detected nine other cases linked to a COVID-19 qatient at Sa Dec General Hospital which has been cordoned off for contact tracing and chemical disinfection.

The virus has attacked 46 cities and provinces in Vietnam since its resurgence in late April. More than 11,000 cases have been confirmed, including 39 deaths.

Vietnam is to launch a national vaccination campaign, the largest of its kind in history, in an effort to halt the spread of the virus and protect people from virus infection.