A medical worker swabs a woman in HCMC for Covid-19 testing. The Ministry of Health this afternoon, July 5, reported four Covid-19 deaths and 247 fresh domestic infections. - Photo: VNA

Binh Duong came second with 17 infections, followed by Long An with 13, Phu Yen with six, Bac Giang with four, Vinh Long with three, Dong Thap with three, Quang Ngai with two, Ha Tinh with two and Bac Ninh with one.

With the 196 new cases, HCMC’s count in the current fourth Covid-19 wave, which began on April on 27, reached 6,405, while Binh Duong saw its cases rising to 652.

Since April 27, Vietnam has reported 17,080 domestic cases.

The four Covid-19 deaths were residents of HCMC, Long An and Dong Thap, suffering underlying health conditions.

The deceased in HCMC, a 68-year-old man, had a medical history of type 2 diabetes, ischemic heart disease and drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis. He tested positive for Covid-19 on June 29. Up to now, the city has had a total of 13 Covid-19 deaths.

The first Covid-19 death reported in Dong Thap Province was an 81-year-old woman who had a medical history of hypertension, diabetes and cushing’s syndrome. She was infected with Covid-19 on June 26.

Another elderly female patient who lived in Dong Thap was pronounced dead on July 4 due to small bowel perforation, pneumonia caused by Covid-19 and ischemic heart disease.

The remaining one death was a 73-year-old woman living in Long An Province. She had a medical history of heart failure, hypertension, Lupus erythematosus and knee osteoarthritis. She tested positive for the virus on June 29 and was pronounced dead a day later.

The four latest deaths raised the country’s Covid-19 death toll to 90 as of this afternoon.

In related news, HCMC Chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong, head of the HCMC steering committee for Covid-19 infection prevention and control, on July 4 signed an urgent decision assigning tasks to members of the committee.

Accordingly, HCMC Vice Chairman Duong Anh Duc is in charge of monitoring Covid-19 prevention operations at export processing zones, industrial and hi-tech parks and Quang Trung Software City and ensuring the safety of the national high school exam.

Another vice chairman, Ngo Minh Chau, was assigned to monitor contact-tracing and testing activities, while HCMC Vice Chairwoman Phan Thi Thang was tasked with directing the operations of wholesale markets and supermarkets to ensure sufficient supplies of goods.

Le Hoa Binh, vice chairman of HCMC, was responsible for the construction and repair of facilities serving Covid-19 treatment and quarantine, while HCMC Vice Chairman Vo Van Hoan was told to oversee policies and plans to support residents affected by Covid-19.

In another development, the Ministry of Transport has decided to suspend flights connecting Thua Thien Hue, Thanh Hoa or Quang Nam to HCMC to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Up to now, nine provinces and cities have temporarily stopped their air services to HCMC over fear of Covid-19 spread as the city is the country’s largest coronavirus hotspot.

The Tan Son Nhat International Airport is maintaining the operations of 10 air routes to provinces and cities, but the number of flights to Hanoi and Danang has been revised down.

Source: SGT

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