Vietnam records no new Covid-19 cases Saturday evening

Of Vietnam's 270 patients, 230 have been discharged from hospitals. The 45 active infections include five relapse cases.

Nearly 55,000 people are quarantined in the country – 280 in hospitals specialized for Covid-19 treatment, over 7,000 at centralized facilities and the rest at home.

No fresh cases were reported Saturday morning.

As of last Friday morning, Vietnam had gone eight straight days clear of new infections, but the evening saw two new cases confirmed - both students studying in Japan who returned to the Van Don Airport in Quang Ninh on April 22. They were quarantined on arrival and are now under treatment at the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Hanoi.

Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said at a meeting Saturday he was concerned that if a second Covid-19 wave hits the country, Vietnam's healthcare system will face many difficulties.

He said that while Vietnam has had very few new cases, there could be unrecorded people carrying the virus. Many recorded infection cases had no clinical symptoms, he noted, adding: "These cases are easy to be ignored during screening."

"We are worried about the risks of a second Covid-19 wave like those in Japan, South Korea, and Singapore which have arisen within the communities without being noticed until they spread on a large scale."

Vietnam has been organizing special flights to repatriate thousands of its stranded citizens abroad amid worldwide travel restrictions.

In a directive issued Friday, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered localities to stop all religious gatherings, sports events and crowded festivals in public places, as also other "unnecessary" events. He also extended the shutdown of "non-essential" businesses like bars, karaoke parlors, massage parlors, beauty clinics and entertainment facilities.

The Covid-19 pandemic has reached 210 countries and territories with a reported death toll of almost 197,000.