COVID-19 infections reach 320 after two imported cases confirmed
Two new COVID-19 cases confirmed on May 17 evening are Vietnamese people returning from Russia, and they have been quarantined upon their arrival, said the national steering committee for COVID-19 prevention and control.
Health workers prepare to receive overseas Vietnamese people repatriated on a flight at Van Don International Airport in Quang Ninh province (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Two new COVID-19 cases confirmed on May 17evening are Vietnamese people returning from Russia, and they have beenquarantined upon their arrival, said the national steering committee forCOVID-19 prevention and control.
The male patients were repatriated from Russia on Flight VN0062 onMay 13. After landing at Van Don International Airport in northern Quang Ninhprovince, they were immediately kept in quarantine at the military school ofThai Binh province.
Patient 319, 26 years old, is being treated at the Hanoi-basedNational Hospital for Tropical Diseases No. 2. Meanwhile, Patient 320, 29 yearsold, is under treatment at the General Hospital of Thai Binh province.
They added up to 320 patients of COVID-19 in Vietnam at present,including 180 imported cases who were quarantined upon their arrival in thecountry.
As of 6pm of May 17, Vietnam had not recorded any COVID-19infections in the community for 31 consecutive days.
There are 10,962 people under quarantine now, including 293 athospitals, 8,631 at other quarantine facilities, and 2,038 at home./.
Nearly 200 Vietnamese citizens who were in disadvantaged situations amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, were repatriated on May 14 in accordance with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s direction.
Vietnam is currently clear of any community transmission of COVID-19, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has affirmed, and this is an important condition for the country to attract investment and development resources.
The State Committee on Overseas Vietnamese Affairs under the Foreign Ministry held a ceremony on May 15 to present over 232 million VND to the Defence Ministry’s Department of Peacekeeping Operations.
Associate Prof., Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue, Director of the Health Ministry’s Department for Medical Examination and Treatment, shared Vietnam’s experience in containing the COVID-19 pandemic at a recent video seminar held by the US-Asia Institute.
Vietnam has no new COVID-19 cases to report on May 17 morning, the 31st straight day the country is clear of coronavirus infections in the community, according to the national steering committee for COVID-19 prevention and control.
Vietnam now boasts a nationwide healthcare network with 1,665 hospitals, 384 of which are non-public, supported by local commune- and ward-level stations. At the end of 2024, hospital bed capacity reached 34 per 10,000 people, slightly above the global average.
The 56-year-old patient from Quang Tri province was discharged in stable condition as he no longer experienced shortness of breath and was able to walk, move around, and eat normally.
Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Vu Trung, Director of the Pasteur Institute, said that under the MoU, the two sides committed to promoting diverse and practical collaborative activities, including joint conferences and workshops, exchanges of scholars, researchers and students, sharing academic materials, and the development of specific programmes and projects in scientific research, training, and epidemic prevention.
TytoCare, a leading Israeli telemedicine company based in Netanya, is willing to work with Vietnamese regulators, insurers, and healthcare providers to develop a sustainable digital health ecosystem.
The partnership is under the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding on the development and implementation of the National Action Plan on Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control, signed in Hanoi on July 22.
An estimated 7 million Vietnamese are currently living with diabetes, but about 50% remain undiagnosed, a dangerous gap that is fuelling serious, preventable complications and increasing the burden on the healthcare system.
In 2024, Vietnam achieved 99% coverage for the first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine, up from 80% in 2023. Immunisation coverage in the country has not only rebounded to the high levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic but has now surpassed the rates recorded in 2019.
Health authorities in HCM City have issued an urgent alert after six people died from dengue fever, amid a spike in infections driven by the onset of the rainy season.
During the peak months of July and August 2025, the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) needs at least 90,000 units of blood to supply 180 hospitals in the northern region. However, despite continuous efforts, the reserve blood is still short of 30,000 units.
The Hanoi ceremony highlighted efforts to ensure all citizens, especially women and youth, can access accurate information and healthcare services to make informed reproductive choices.
After such a long time, the law has revealed many limitations, prompting the Ministry of Health (MoH) to gather opinions to amend the law to give more chances to thousands of patients every year.
Currently, cardiovascular specialists from the 108 Military Central Hospital are working alongside a team of Prof.Dr. Jan D. Schmitto, Deputy Director of MHH’s Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery on clinical trials for MCS devices, implanted in heart failure patients either as a bridge to transplantation or as permanent treatment.
The centre not only serves residents living on the island, but also receives tens of thousands of visitors every year, according to Assoc Prof Dr Tang Chi Thuong, Director of the HCM CIty Department of Health.
Not only does Vietnam attract international tourists with its landscapes, culture, and cuisine, but it is also gradually becoming a reliable destination for medical treatment, offering high-quality services at reasonable costs.
Over the past six months, 150 communal health stations in provinces including Ha Giang, Bac Kan, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Yen Bai, Tay Ninh, Hau Giang, Ben Tre and Ca Mau have been equipped with information technology systems. In addition, 117 key provincial healthcare workers have received training, with thousands more expected to follow.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Ministry of Health swiftly launched a telemedicine programme, connecting more than 1,000 medical establishments nationwide. The model, which remains in operation, has benefited tens of thousands of patients, including foreign nationals.
After more than three weeks of intensive treatment, the patient's pneumonia improved, breathing stabilised, sedation was reduced, and the breathing tube was removed. He is now conscious, able to eat orally, and in recovery.
Health workers prepare to receive overseas Vietnamese people repatriated on a flight at Van Don International Airport in Quang Ninh province (Photo: VNA) 
