HCMC coronavirus tally in new wave tops 7,000

Vietnam recorded 242 new local Covid-19 cases Tuesday noon, putting the coronavirus tally of the new wave in HCMC at 7,114 and the whole country at 18,062.

The infection tally in HCMC, now the nation's epicenter, is up by over 1,200 from two days ago.

Of the new cases, 209 were recorded in HCMC, 10 in Hanoi, seven in Phu Yen, six in Long An, four in Thanh Hoa, three in Bac Giang and one each in Lang Son, Bac Ninh and Ha Nam.

163 cases in HCMC have been contained within quarantine zones and locked down areas, and 46 are being contact traced.

Nine cases in Hanoi are close contact cases, while one returned from Nghe An. These are the first local cases recorded in Hanoi after nine clean days.

All the cases in the central province of Phu Yen, and the northern provinces of Bac Ninh and Ha Nam are close contact cases.

Two cases in Long An, which borders HCMC, are close contact cases, three are linked to the Binh Dien market in HCMC, and one returned from HCMC.

The cases in the central province of Thanh Hoa are also linked to the Binh Dien market, which was closed Tuesday morning for being linked to hundreds of Covid cases.

Two cases in the northern province of Bac Giang are close contact cases, and one is contained within a locked down area.

The case in the northern province of Lang Son, a 31-year-old woman, is linked to the Van Trung industrial park in Bac Giang.

Over two months into the new wave, Vietnam has recorded community infections in 55 of its 63 cities and provinces. Monday alone saw 519 cases added to the national tally.

HCMC has the highest number of infections at 7,114, followed by Bac Giang with 5,671.