The Ministry of Health confirmed 34,737 coronavirus infections detected across all 63 cities and provinces across the country during the past 24 hours, an increase of nearly 3,000 cases compared to the previous day.
Of the total, as many as 25,026 cases were diagnosed in the community, meaning the virus infection risk is very high.
Most of the cases were reported in the north, as people returned to work after the nine-day lunar New Year holiday and localities are launching spring festivals that attract large crowds.
Hanoi capital topped localities, registering 3,888 new cases, followed by Thai Nguyen, Hai Duong, Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Phu Tho, Ninh Binh, Nam Dinh, Vinh Phuc, and Bac Ninh that recorded from 1,000 to more than 2,000 cases each.
Daily infection numbers also rose slightly in other localities and central and southern regions. Notably, Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s largest metropolis in the south, announced 620 new cases in a single day, an increase of 279 cases compared to the previous day.
The February 16 COVID-19 update from the Ministry of Health also shows the past 24 hours saw an additional 6,882 patients recover from the disease and 66 more patients died of the virus and other underlying illnesses.
As of 06pm on February 16, Vietnam has detected 2,606,824 COVID-19 cases since the start of the outbreak, ranking 34th out of 225 countries and territories worldwide.
Of the infected patients, 2,249,155 have been discharged from hospital after making a full recovery from the disease, and 39,188 patients have died of the virus.
The number of Omicron infections remains unchanged at 198 in 16 localities, including 97 cases confirmed in Ho Chi Minh City, 27 in Quang Nam, 20 in Quang Ninh, 14 in Hanoi, and 11 in Khanh Hoa.
Nearly 187 million vaccine doses have been administered nationwide, with close to 75 million people getting their second shot and nearly 33 million people receiving their additional shot/booster jab.