Test tubes contain samples for Covid-19 testing. Vietnam this morning, May 19, reported 31 new Covid-19 cases - PHOTO: VNA

HCMC - Thirty Covid-19 cases were confirmed this morning, May 19, with one imported case in HCMC and 30 locally-infected ones in Bac Ninh, Lang Son, Bac Giang and HCMC.

The new cases send the country’s tally to 4,543, according to the Ministry of Health.

Among the domestic infections, Bac Ninh Province reported 16 cases, taking its total number of domestic cases to 322 since the new wave of Covid-19 emerged, while Bac Giang Province had 10 cases, Lang Son Province confirmed three and HCMC detected one.

Since April 27, Vietnam has reported 1,503 locally-transmitted Covid-19 cases in 28 provinces and cities, with Bac Giang Province recording the highest number of infections at 517.

Up to date, over one million doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered to people, mainly frontline workers, with 28,852 of them getting two shots of the vaccine, the local media reported.

Due to the rising number of Covid-19 infections, the Bac Ninh government yesterday evening, May 18, issued an urgent dispatch asking drastic Covid-19 measures. The provincial government also applied the market-visiting coupon policy to limit gatherings.

Each household will be presented five coupons to go to market every three days within 15 days. The market entry coupon is valid for every visit to any market.

In related news, the HCMC Center for Disease Control reported one suspected Covid-19 case last night. The woman is working at the same company on Pasteur Street in District 3 as the latest Covid-19 patient in HCMC, who is a resident of Thu Duc City. She visited Haiphong City between April 24 and May 5.

The competent forces quickly locked down an area on Street 3 in District 7’s Tan Kieng Ward, where the woman lives, and took samples from the people linked to the suspected case for testing.