Vietnam records 31 new Covid-19 community transmissions

The northern province, the biggest Covid-19 hotspot at the moment, hosts 27 of the 31 new cases. Its neighbor Quang Ninh has two and Hanoi and the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai have one each.

"Patient 2110" is a two-month-old boy in Hanoi’s Me Linh District who has been in quarantine since January 31. On February 10, he developed a fever and his sample has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. He is being treated at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases 2 in the capital city.

Patients 2111 and 2112, a 34-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman, are from Dong Trieu Town in Quang Ninh. In quarantine since February 8, the second test of their samples returned positive on Thursday. They are being treated at the Vietnam - Sweden Uong Bi Hospital in Quang Ninh.

Patients 2113-2139 in Hai Duong are already in quarantine. Test results released Thursday showed they are positive for the novel coronavirus.

"Patient 2140" is a 32-year-old man from Ayun Pa Town in Gia Lai Province who is being treated at the Ayun Pa Medical Center.

Thursday evening’s confirmations take the day’s tally to 49, and the total number of community transmissions since January 28 to 533 in 13 localities.

Hai Duong remains the biggest Covid-19 hotspot to date with 383, followed by Quang Ninh (59) and Ho Chi Minh City (34).

The nation’s Covid-19 tally has increased to 2,140, with 1,531 recoveries and 35 deaths. Of the active patients, 36 have tested negative for the virus at least once. More than 114,000 people are in quarantine – 19,000 in centralized facilities, over 700 in hospitals and the rest at home or other designated accommodations.

Also Thursday, the HCMC’s Department of Transport announced a plan to establish 16 checkpoints in the city as a Covid-19 prevention measure in case a citywide social distancing campaign is launched. City authorities have already ordered social distancing in infected areas and closed all non-essential businesses since Tuesday.