HCMC – The Health Ministry has confirmed two new cases of local Covid-19 infection in Hai Duong Province, currently the country's biggest coronavirus hotspot, sending the national tally to 2,271 as of this morning, February 16.

The two new cases were being quarantined when they tested positive for the coronavirus, with one linked to a coronavirus outbreak in Cam Giang District in Hai Duong and the other related to an outbreak in Kinh Mon District in the same province, which began two-week social distancing at midnight on February 16 due to no letup in new cases. The two patients are now under treatment at the Field Hospital No. 2 at the Hai Duong Medical Technical University. To date, Vietnam had reported 1,372 locally-transmitted patients, with 679 of them detected since January 27 in 13 provinces and cities. Meanwhile, 1,568 coronavirus patients in the country have fully recovered. In a related development, Hanoi City has temporarily shut down relic sites, street food stores and coffee shops from midnight on February 16 to prevent the spread of the virus as the capital city has reported new cases. These places are often crowded with people despite a Covid-19 resurgence, said Chu Xuan Dung, vice chairman of the municipal government.