Vietnam Covid-19 Updates (Dec. 10): Daily Count Hits More Than 15,000

Photo: VN Express

Daily Covid-19 count hits more than 15,000 in Vietnam

As many as 15,311 people have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus in 61 cities and provinces across Vietnam during the past 24 hours, an increase of 705 cases compared to the previous day, the Ministry of Health (MoH) said in its coronavirus update on December 9. Of the total, 8,845 cases were detected in the community through random testing and test screening. The MoH also reported that an additional 256 patients died and 14,568 more patients recovered from the disease.

Most of the newly detected cases were in southern localities, with Ho Chi Minh City registering the highest number of infections at 1,453. The city, the largest coronavirus hotspot in Vietnam, has so far documented more than 480,000 cases, more than one-third of the country’s total.

In the north, Hanoi reported 822 new cases, the highest figure recorded on a single day. Local authorities predicted that the city’s daily count might hit the 1,000 mark in the coming days. Elsewhere, the outbreak has yet to show signs of waning in the Central Highland region, with Dak Lak, Lam Dong, and Gia Lai confirming hundreds of new cases each.

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Vietnam receives 1.5 million more AstraZeneca vaccine doses

1.5 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses arrived in HCMC Thursday as the last batch of a commercial contract with Vietnam Vaccine JSC (VNVC). With the arrival, the 30-million dose contract between AstraZeneca and VNVC has been completed after nearly 10 months. Another contract signed between the two companies in November would entail 25 million vaccine doses. The first batch is expected to be delivered later this month.

Vietnam has received around 150 million Covid-19 vaccine doses, including 48.6 million of the AstraZeneca vaccine and 48.7 million of Sinopharm, according to the Health Ministry. Two-thirds of vaccine doses delivered to Vietnam have been through bilateral deals, according to the WHO.

The country has vaccinated 74 million people with at least one Covid-19 vaccine shot. 56 million people have received two shots.

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Vietnam adds six countries to vaccine passport acceptance list

Vietnam is accepting vaccine passports from 78 countries and territories, and it is part of a similar list in five countries. "Vietnam has temporarily recognized vaccination certificates from 78 countries and territories," foreign ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang confirmed at a press briefing. The ministry earlier had named 72 countries and territories in the acceptance list. The six new countries announced Thursday are Canada, Iran, Iraq, Maldives, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

Hang noted that Vietnamese authorities have acted urgently to complete software solutions to quickly issue the vaccine passports form according to international standards, with the quarantine period for certificate holders reduced to seven days. On countries that recognize Vietnam's vaccine passport, Hang said Australia joined the group, which also includes the U.S., the U.K., Japan, and Belarus.

Canada has agreed in principle, while members of the ASEAN bloc and the European Union, China, and South Korea are still in the process of reviewing and waiting for Vietnam to come up with a consistent vaccine passport template, she said. Responding to the question about the high demand among Vietnamese living abroad to visit Vietnam at the time of Tet, the Lunar New Year festival, Hang said the demand could be partly met if the government approves the suggestion of the Ministry of Transport to allow international flights to resume on nine routes from December 15.

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High school girl dies seven days after Pfizer vaccination

A 17-year-old girl in the central province of Quang Tri died Thursday, becoming the 5th child to have died in Vietnam following the Covid-19 vaccination. The 12th grader died at the Quang Tri General Hospital following a week in intensive care, the provincial Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control said Thursday. The cause of death is being investigated, the committee added.

On December 2, the girl had visited the Trieu Phong District medical center to get her Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine shot. She said she has had a history of allergy to vaccines, but the family decided to sign the required agreement to allow her vaccination. About 25 minutes after vaccination, she developed rashes, felt dizzy, and showed signs of anaphylactic shock. Doctors at the center rushed to help her, but her condition didn't improve and she was transferred to the Quang Tri General Hospital. At the hospital, she suffered blood clotting disorders and she died Thursday.

Three of the four children who have died of Covid-19 vaccination earlier also suffered anaphylactic shock, according to the Health Ministry. The cause of death of the fourth child is being investigated. So far, Vietnam has vaccinated around 5.3 million children aged 12-17. Around 0.3 percent of them have shown post-vaccination side effects like fever, pain, and fatigue, according to the health ministry.

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