Vietnam records 3,789 new local Covid cases

HCMC led the daily tally with 1,131 cases, followed by Dong Nai with 586 and Binh Duong with 533.

With 918 patients discharged Friday, total recoveries rose to 788,923.

HCMC also recorded most of the 93 deaths recorded Friday, taking the national pandemic death toll to 21,043.

Over 59 million have been vaccinated, with more than 17.1 million receiving two doses.

As Vietnam has switched from the zero-Covid strategy to living with it, the country has issued a set criteria to define localities' risk level, including infection tally and vaccination rate, based on which travel and economic activities, among others, can be resumed.

The capital city of Hanoi allowed restaurants and coffee shops to serve on-site services again starting 6 a.m. Thursday, with the establishments allowed to operate at 50 percent capacity.