A medical worker handles a tube containing samples for Covid-19 testing. The Ministry of Health this evening, July 5 confirmed 527 new Covid-19 cases, with 13 imported cases and 514 domestic infections, raising the daily total to 1,102, the most infections recorded in a single day so far – PHOTO: VNA

HCMC - The Ministry of Health this evening, July 5 confirmed 527 new Covid-19 cases, including 13 imported cases and 514 domestic infections, raising the daily total to 1,102, the most infections recorded in a single day so far.

The 13 imported cases were reported in Tra Vinh and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces.

Among the domestic cases, HCMC continued to account for the most, 270, taking its Covid-19 count to 6,675 in the current fourth Covid-19 wave, counting from April 27.

Binh Duong Province came second with 114 cases, raising its caseload to 766, followed by Dong Thap with 62 that sent the province’s number of daily infections to 165.

Eleven cases each were detected in Tien Giang and Phu Yen, 10 in Khanh Hoa, eight in Dong Nai and six in An Giang.

Binh Phuoc and Ba Ria-Vung Tau detected four cases each, while Binh Dinh, Tay Ninh and Bac Giang had three infections each, and Bac Ninh, Nghe An and Lam Dong saw one case each.

Since the current fourth Covid-19 wave, Vietnam has had 17,594 locally-infected Covid-19 cases in 55 provinces and cities, with 5,248 patients having been declared free of the virus.

In related news, the HCMC Department of Health has proposed piloting home quarantine for direct contacts of confirmed Covid-19 cases in eight districts, including Phu Nhuan, Nha Be, Can Gio, 3, 6, 7, 10 and 11, which were classified as having a medium risk of Covid-19 infection, from today.

After 14 days of the pilot, the municipal department will evaluate the result and effectiveness to consider expanding the home quarantine program to other districts in the group with a high risk of Covid-19 transmission.

This home quarantine program will not be applied to the extremely-high-risk group, according to the municipal department.

Before undergoing the home quarantine period, the direct contacts of confirmed Covid-19 cases must stay at a concentrated quarantine center for 14 days and test negative for Covid-19 on the 14th day.

The self-isolation at home is expected to help ease the overload at quarantine centers in HCMC, the local media reported.

In another development, several hospitals in HCMC were overloaded as many residents rushed to get Covid-19 tests to have negative Covid-19 test certificates that allow them to travel to Dong Nai Province and Di An City in Binh Duong Province.

The Eastern People Military Hospital, Thu Duc City Hospital and Le Van Thinh Hospital in Thu Duc City on July 5 became crowded with hundreds people visiting the sites for Covid-19 testing, Tuoi Tre Online reported.

They were mainly drivers and workers who live in Di An City or Dong Nai Province, but work in HCMC.

To avoid mass gatherings that might spread Covid-19, these hospitals had to suspend testing operations.