Da Nang records 11 new Covid-19 cases

The 11 infections, recorded Monday evening, raise the country’s tally to 431 and active cases to 66. The test results were confirmed by the central city's Center for Disease Control.

The patients, numbered "421" to "431," are between 24-70 years of age. Of these, four are medical staff at Da Nang Hospital and seven were patients undergoing treatment in different departments of this hospital.

Since Saturday, there have been 15 cases of Covid-19 community transmission, the first of which ended Vietnam's 99-day streak of having no local infections. Of the 15 cases, 14 are in Da Nang and one in nearby Quang Ngai Province.

"Patient 416" and "Patient 418", both Da Nang residents, are in critical condition on ventilators and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machines.

The government Monday ordered social distancing in Da Nang for at least 14 days, starting Tuesday.

The city plans to test a further 10,000 residents. It has stopped receiving visitors and closed "non-essential" services like amusement parks, beauty salons, karaoke and massage parlors, and bars from Sunday afternoon.

In the wake of new Covid-19 community transmissions, Vietnam has returned to pandemic prevention protocols on aircraft, trains, ships, and buses.

The Ministry of Transport Sunday instructed all transport operators to install hand sanitizers in their vehicles and ensure that everyone, including staff, wear masks at the stations and in vehicles. They have also been asked to conduct temperature checks. All passengers on long-distance journeys must complete health declaration procedures.

Such protocols had been made mandatory in March when community transmissions peaked.

Since April 16, the country had gone 99 days without a single case of community transmission, until "Patient 416" was confirmed. Authorities are still searching for the source of infection.

There has been no single Covid-19 death recorded in Vietnam.