Collecting samples for COVID-19 test (Photo: VNA) Hanoi, (VNA) – Eighteen cases of COVID-19 wererecorded in the past 12 hours to 6pm on February 18, all in the northernprovince of Hai Duong, according to the National Steering Committee forCOVID-19 Prevention and Control.
The national tally reached 2,347 including 755locally-transmitted cases since January 27.
During the day 25 patients were given the all clear, raisingthe total number of recoveries to 1,605. The death toll remains at 35.
A total 144,071 people who had close contact with COVID-19patients or arrived from pandemic-hit areas are being quarantined nationwide.
Hai Duong - Vietnam's current largest COVID-19 hotspot - had basically managed to put undercontrol five big outbreaks by February 18, said the provincial steeringcommittee for COVID-19 prevention and control.
The five outbreaks are in Chi Linh and Hai Duongcities, Cam Giang and Nam Sach districts and Kinh Mon township.
The province has implemented strict lockdownmeasures since February 16 with 949 control stations set up across theprovince to monitor entry and exit.
The northern locality has as of February 18 recorded 558COVID-19 patients in 75 out of 235 communes and wards in all of its 12district-level localities since January 27./.
