Vietnam seeks to increase testing as coronavirus cases hit record

HANOI, July 1 (Reuters) – Vietnam reported a record high number of new coronavirus cases on Thursday and prepared to conduct mass tests on half of its largest city’s population, as it tries to contain its biggest outbreak to date.

Most of the 713 new cases were in Ho Chi Minh City, the southern economic center of 9 million people, about half of whom are set to test before Tuesday next week.

The city plans to introduce a home quarantine for suspected cases, which could be replicated nationwide, the health ministry said, a change in strategy that until now relied on centralized centers often managed by the army.

Vietnam has so far reported just 17,576 COVID-19 cases and 81 deaths, most since the end of April.

Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said it was crucial to try to control the spread now, or risk economic damage.

“The outbreak will continue, with more cases found in the community, in industrial parks, in crowded areas and could spread further in a larger outbreak,” Long said.

Vaccine supplies would increase from this month, he said, with around 30 million doses likely to arrive in the third quarter.

He said the government plans to vaccinate 70% to 75% of the 98 million people by the end of this year or early next year. About 200,000 people in Vietnam have so far been fully immunized.

Editing by Martin Petty

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