Hanoi Covid cases jump 7-fold in single week

By Le Nga   April 17, 2023 | 05:38 am PT
Hanoi Covid cases jump 7-fold in single week
A health worker performs Covid-19 testing procedures in Hanoi, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy
Hanoi has recorded 493 new Covid-19 cases over the past week, a sevenfold increase from the previous 7 days, and more cases are expected to plague the capital.

Since the beginning of this year, Hanoi has recorded a total of 756 Covid-19 cases, according to the Hanoi Center for Disease Control (CDC).

The CDC has collected 10 samples in 6 districts and towns (Hoang Mai, Thuong Tin, Son Tay, Ba Vi, Ung Hoa and Thanh Oai) and sent them to the Bach Mai hospital for genetic sequencing.

The results of the sequencing have yet to be announced.

The Hanoi CDC has requested units to monitor the Covid-19 situation, as well as any new coronavirus variants, as part of prevention efforts.

Cases are expected to continue to rise in the coming weeks, especially as the Reunification Day-Labor Day holiday is approaching April 30-May 1, according to the center.

Over the past week, Vietnam officially recorded a total of 2,653 new Covid-19 cases across the nation, with 380 new cases recorded per day on average, according to the Ministry of Health. Over 700 cases a day were recorded on each of the past three days alone, the ministry reported.

The number of patients requiring oxygen support has also increased. Most severe cases were elderly patients and those with underlying conditions. In most other cases, however, patients suffered only mild symptoms and stayed home for treatment.

Vietnam has yet to record a Covid-19 death in 2023.

Tran Dac Phu, advisor for the Public Health Emergency Operations Center, said the rising number of cases might be due to waning immunity and changing weather conditions, which could help viruses thrive. People are also not wearing masks as frequently as before, he added.

The presence of the Omicron variant XBB.1.5, known for its high infectivity, was detected in Ho Chi Minh City last week.

 
 
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