COVID-19: Daily count rises close to 10,000, deaths fall considerably

After plummeting to about 9,500 cases on November 20, Vietnam’s COVID-19 daily count rose to nearly 10,000 on November 21, while the number of deaths fell considerably.

Vietnam is accelerating vaccinations for children aged 12-17. (Illustrative image)

As many as 9,889 people tested positive for COVID-19 in 57 cities and provinces nationwide during the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Health (MoH) said in its coronavirus update.

Of the newly-detected infections, 5,361 cases were diagnosed in the community through random testing or test screening. Seven returnees from overseas tested positive, and the remaining 4,521 cases were documented in quarantine or lockdown areas.

More than three fourths of the new cases were logged in the south, with Ho Chi Minh City recording the highest number at 1,265, followed by Binh Duong, Dong Nai, and ba Ria – Vung Tau.

Hanoi capital remains the largest coronavirus hotspot in the north with 216 new cases. Other northern localities registering high numbers of infections during the day were Ha Giang 121, Bac Ninh 116, Vinh Phuc 101, Nam Dinh 68, and Bac Giang 68.

The same day, the MoH confirmed 76 deaths, down 31 compared to the previous day, and 5,163 recoveries.

As of 06pm on November 21 Vietnam has recorded 1,094,514 COVID-19 cases since the start of the first outbreak in January 2020, ranking 37th out of 223 countries and territories worldwide.

Of the total, 905,500 patients have been discharged from hospital after making a full recovery from the disease.

As many as 23,761 patients have died of the virus, making up 2.2% of the total number of infections.

Nearly 108 million vaccine doses have been administered nationwide, with 41 million people getting their second shot.