Vietnam today at a glance
The Ministry of Health announced 9,605 new COVID-19 cases today, raising the national tally to 293,301. More than 279,000 of these are locally transmitted cases, including 279,681 confirmed since April 27, when the fourth outbreak began.
Today’s new COVID-19 infections were found in: HCMC (3,559), Binh Duong (3,332), Long An (581), Tien Giang (411), Dong Nai (298), Can Tho (172), Dong Thap (170), Khanh Hoa (139), Da Nang (124), Tay Ninh (88), Tra Vinh (79), Ba Ria – Vung Tau (79), Vinh Long (76), Phu Yen (71), Ha Noi (61), Binh Thuan (55), Soc Trang (44); An Giang (33), Kien Giang (31), Gia Lai (26), Dak Lak (24), Bac Ninh (20), Ha Tinh (19), Nghe An (16), Binh Dinh (12), Thanh Hoa (12), Ninh Thuan (11), Quang Nam (11), Ben Tre (10), Quang Ngai (5), Quang Tri (5), Lao Cai (4), Bac Lieu (3), Lang Son (3), Lam Dong (3), Binh Phuoc (3), Ca Mau (2), Thai Binh (1), Thai Nguyen (1), Thua Thien-Hue (1).
Out of all 62 cities and provinces, six have gone at least 14 days without new domestic infections: Quảng Ninh, Bắc Kạn, Tuyên Quang, Lai Châu, Hoà Bình, Hải Phòng.
Vietnam’s death toll is currently at 6,472.
HCMC relaxes delivery restrictions, yet sees worrying new case patterns
Since Monday, delivery workers have been allowed back on the streets of the city for cross-district travelling, provided that they are shipping essential goods.
Consumers are now able to purchase necessities from sellers based in any district, including Thu Duc City. Shippers, however, remain bound to the same old requirements that ask them to carry identification, and to only operate from 6 am to 6 pm every day.
This removal of HCMC’s previous resolution that only allowed delivery within a single district is much welcomed by residents’ high demands.
Meanwhile, despite current mobility restrictions, the municipal Department of Public Security records nearly one million people travelling on the streets of Saigon every day. This number is only expected to rise with the new inter-district delivery movement in place.
Recently, HCMC has found more cases in its communities than in isolated areas, according to the city’s People’s Committee. While in the past, cases discovered in quarantine centers often accounted for 80% of daily infections in the city, the municipal government elaborated.
At the moment, vaccination is believed by officials to be the metropolis of over nine million people’s best shot. HCMC continues to lead Vietnam’s inoculation campaigns, with just over half of its population having received at least one dose as of August 17.