A further three community cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) were confirmed on February 23 morning in Hai Duong, Vietnam’s biggest coronavirus hotbed, raising the national count of local transmissions to 1,496.

Vietnam continues to “put emphasis on the protection and promotion of all human rights and fundamental freedoms of our people, even in this most difficult of times,” said Vietnamese Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh.

Social distancing measures will be implemented in areas of northern Hai Phong city which have recorded new COVID-19 patients, according to the city’s leaders at an urgent meeting held on February 22.

Police of Hai Duong city in the norther province of the same name on February 22 decided to start legal proceedings against a case of “spreading contagious disease to others”, which occurred at No.15 Tran Sung Dinh, Hai Tan ward, Hai Duong city.

While negotiating with foreign vaccine providers, Vietnam will accelerate vaccine purchases to ensure that all people have access to Covid-19 vaccines.

A total of 21 new locally-transmitted COVID-19 cases were reported over the weekend, including 15 on Sunday.

With insurance and social allowance policies, Vietnam’s social security system is believed to be a useful tool for economic and social stabilisation in 2021.

Cho Ray Hospital in HCM City dispatched its medical quick-response team and much needed equipment to Hai Duong Province, the epicentre of the latest COVIDID-19 outbreak, early on Saturday.

Vietnam has no new COVID-19 cases to report in the past 12 hours to 6am of February 21, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

HCM City Vice Mayor Duong Anh Duc has just sent a dispatch to the heads of departments, divisions, and industries, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Thu Duc City, and districts on strengthening measures to prevent Covid-19.

Vietnam has discovered four strains of SARS-CoV-2, including one found in the UK which is more contagious.

To prevent the spread of Covid-19, the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) has proposed closing the Van Don International Airport in Quang Ninh province until March 3.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long says the Covid-19 pandemic will not end in the first half of this year. He also asked provinces and cities to immediately prepare three scenarios to respond to the pandemic.

The northern province of Hai Duong – Vietnam’s current largest pandemic epicenter – reported 15 new COVID-19 cases on February 19, raising the country’s tally to 2,362.

Chiều 18/2, Bộ Y tế công bố 18 ca mắc Covid-19 mới tại Hải Dương, nâng tổng số người mắc bệnh này trong cả nước lên 2347 trường hợp.

Nearly 40 provinces and cities in the country have closed school until the end of February to prevent and control Covid-19.

Vietnam saw 18 new locally-transmitted COVID-19 cases from 6am to 6pm on February 17, all in Hai Duong - the country's current largest hotbed, raising the national count to 2,329.

HCM City’s authorities are testing arrivals from three major airports in the north (Noi Bai in Hanoi, Van Don in Quang Ninh province and Cat Bi in Hai Phong) as tens of thousands of passengers are returning after the Lunar New Year holiday.

After Hai Duong, the country's Covid-19 epicenter, imposed social distancing beginning at midnight on February 16, distribution of nearly 100,000 tons of farm produce was disrupted.

The capital city of Hanoi has ordered the closure of streetside stalls, monuments, temples and pagodas from February 16 to prevent the spread of COVID-19.