A total 129 deaths were recorded in HCMC, seven in Long An, nine in Dong Thap, two in Can Tho, two in Khanh Hoa and one each in Ninh Thuan, Bac Ninh, Tra Vinh, Kien Giang and Dong Nai.

The updated tally pushed Vietnam's total Covid-19 fatality count in the fourth coronavirus wave to 489, and 524 ever since the disease first appeared in the country in early 2020.

Vietnam has recorded 97,370 local coronavirus cases so far in the new wave, with HCMC accounting for most with 62,139 cases.

Around 80 percent of all cases are either asymptomatic or mild, and around 6 percent require forms of breathing support like ventilators and ECMO.