On the afternoon of February 18, the Ministry of Health announced 18 new cases of Covid-19 in Hai Duong province, the country’s largest hotspot, bringing the total number of patients in the country to 2,347.

Of the 18 patients, No.2330 to No. 2347, 15 are F1 cases, who have been under quarantine for a time; one is a resident in a blockade area; and two are detected through community surveillance. The epidemiological investigation of these cases is underway.

Currently, two patients are treated at Chi Linh District Medical Center, one at Hai Duong Hospital for Tropical Diseases and 15 at Field Hospital No. 2 based in the Medical Technical University of Hai Duong.

By 6pm on February 18, Vietnam recorded a total of 2,347 Covid-19 cases, including 1,448 locally-infected patients.

The national tally reached 2,347 including 755 locally-transmitted cases since January 27.

During the day 25 patients were given the all clear, raising the total number of recoveries to 1,605. The death toll remains at 35.

A total 144,071 people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients or arrived from pandemic-hit areas are being quarantined nationwide.

Hai Duong - Vietnam's current largest COVID-19 hotspot - had basically managed to put under control five big outbreaks by February 18, said the provincial steering committee for COVID-19 prevention and control.

The five outbreaks are in Chi Linh and Hai Duong cities, Cam Giang and Nam Sach districts and Kinh Mon township.

The province has implemented strict lockdown measures since February 16 with 949 control stations set up across the province to monitor entry and exit.

The northern locality has as of February 18 recorded 558 COVID-19 patients in 75 out of 235 communes and wards in all of its 12 district-level localities since January 27.

Nguyen Lien