The Ministry of Health confirmed 4,734 new COVID-19 cases, including two imported on August 1 morning, pushing up the national infection count since the start of the pandemic that hit the nation early last year to 150,060.
Of the total figure regarding domestic cases, HCM City, the country’s biggest coronavirus epicenter, documented 2,027, followed by the southern provinces of Binh Duong with 1,415, Long An with 318, and Dong Nai with 262.
Hanoi led with two-digit infections at 67, trailed by Vinh Long (50), Ba Ria - Vung Tau (46), Hau Giang (37), Ben Tre (32) , Kien Giang (24), Phu Yen (22), Tra Vinh (22), An Giang (21), and Dong Thap (16).
The remaining localities registering one single-digit cases included Thanh Hoa Quang Tri, Hai Duong, Kon Tum, and and Hung.
Among the new cases, 884 were detected in the community, and 3,848 in isolation facilities or areas currently under lockdown.
The country has so far logged 2,241 imported, and 147,819 domestic infections.
July 31 saw the coronavirus caseload hit more than 8,620, with Ho Chi Minh City and its neighbor Binh Duong recording the highest number of domestic infections at 4,180 and 2,075
Furthermore more than 32,710 coronavirus patients have recovered from the virus during the latest pandemic wave.
A total of 276,373 people were vaccinated against COVID-19 on July 30 alone, bringing the total number of vaccinated people nationwide to more than 6.2 million.
In the face of the increasingly complicated pandemic, especially in HCM City and southern provinces, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has issued a decision to extend social distancing under the Government’s Directive 16 for another 14 days in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus among the community.
The extended social distancing continues to be imposed in 19 southern localities, including HCM City.