Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh Friday inspected COVID-19 pandemic prevention work in Binh Duong province - a major coronavirus hotspot in southern Viet Nam. 

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who is the new Head of the National Steering
Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control talks with doctors at Becamex
Binh Duong International Hospital  - one of the COVID-19 treatment facilities in
Binh Duong province. Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

Doctor Nguyen Lan Hieu, Director of the Ha Noi Medical University Hospital briefs
about COVID-19 treatment at the hospital through the central monitoring system
-  Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh encourages doctors who race against
the clock to treat COVID-19 patients - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

Prime Minister Pham inspects Dong Phu wholesale market specializing
in supplying essential commodities for residents in Binh Duong province
- Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

Binh Duong, an industrial hub bordering Ho Chi Minh City, has recorded 86,050 local COVID-19 cases since the fourth coronavirus wave hit Viet Nam in late April. It has the second highest number of coronavirus cases among all localities in Viet Nam, only behind Ho Chi Minh City with 194.100 cases.

The province has ramped up mass testing to detect infected cases early and its COVID-19 patient tally is expected to reach 120,000 by early September, the provincial People's Committee said.

Binh Duong has already prepared enough infrastructure and equipment to treat symptomatic COVID-19 cases but it still has asked the Ministry of Health to provide more assistance in terms of health workforce, drugs and vaccines.

Earlier on August 26, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chinh visited Ho Chi Minh City to check COVID-19 prevention efforts in what is now the country’s biggest COVID-19 hotspot./.