A range of drastic measures aimed at containing the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic must be taken due to the virus spreading rapidly, Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long emphasized on February 2 during a regular cabinet meeting held in Hanoi.

Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long speaks
at the regular cabinet meeting  (Photo: VGP)

The Minister proposed that Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc request all people to wear masks as a mandatory measure and limit gathering in crowds, especially in confined spaces, such as attending weddings or sitting on buses.

At the meeting, PM Phuc also asked ministries, sectors, and localities to carry out three major tasks, including combating the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring preparations are made for the upcoming Lunar New Year, known locally as Tet, and promoting economic growth during the first half of the year.

Regarding the COVID-19 update, the Ministry of Health on February 2 afternoon confirmed 30 further new cases of COVID-19 in the community and one imported case which was immediately isolated upon arrival.

Among the 30 community cases, 18 were detected in Hai Duong, 8 in Quang Ninh, 3 in Gia Lai and 1 in Hanoi. Most of the cases are linked to Hai Duong and Quang Ninh outbreaks or had close contact with coronavirus patients.

The remaining imported case is a 43-year-old Russian expert who entered Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi on February 1 and was diagnosed positive with the SARS-CoV-2 virus one day later. Currently the patient is being isolated for treatment at the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi’s Dong Anh district.

The nation has so far recorded 1,882 SARS-CoV-2 infections. Of the total, 994 were locally-transmitted cases, including 301 found since the latest resurgence of the virus on January 27.

The total number of recoveries now stands at 1,461 after one more COVID-19 patient was released from hospital the same day.

In another development, a new and more contagious variant of COVID-19 originating from the UK was found in patients in the northern provinces of Hai Duong and Quang Ninh, according to details released by the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology.

Most notably, 11 out of the 16 samples tested by scientists from the institute feature 17 signature mutations of the super-spreader B.1.1.7 strain that was first discovered in the UK in December, 2020.

A residential area is put in lockdown in Hai Duong province,
the locality recording the highest number of COVID-19
cases of local transmission in the nation.

The new strain of the virus is said to spread more quickly compared to previous variants of SARS-CoV-2. Indeed, it has caused a surge in the number of COVID-19 infections in the UK, as well as in other European countries, with the variant already detected in 60 countries worldwide as of January 17.

A female worker from Vietnam Poyun Electronics Co.,Ltd was found with the B.1.1.7 variant when arriving in Japan last month.

The highly contagious strain originates in South Africa and was also initially detected in December, 2020, according to the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology and the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases.

In the face of complicated COVID-19 pandemic, many localities throughout the country have been placed into lockdown following the latest COVID-19 outbreak pertaining to a quickly transmitting UK-originated variant.