Two new COVID-19 cases reported on March 16 morning
Vietnam documented two new COVID-19 cases in the northern province of Hai Duong in the past 12 hours to 6am on March 16, bringing the national tally to 2,559, the Ministry of Health announced.
Hanoi (VNA)– Vietnam documented two new COVID-19 cases in the northern province of HaiDuong in the past 12 hours to 6am on March 16, bringing the national tally to2,559, the Ministry of Health announced.
The patients weredetected in Kim Dinh commune of the province’s Kim Thanh district. Both of themhad been previously put under quarantine and are now treated at a COVID-19treatment hospital in Hai Duong.
The country has recorded1,596 domestically-transmitted infections, including 903 cases since the latestoutbreak hit Hai Duong province and some other northern localities on January27.
As many as 39,613people who came in close contact with COVID-19 patients or arrived frompandemic-hit areas are under quarantine nationwide, including 503 in hospitals,16,056 in other quarantine sites, and 23,054 at their residences.
The TreatmentSub-committee under the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention andControl said that 2,115 patients have been declared to be clear of the coronavirusSARS-CoV-2 so far.
Among the patientsunder treatment, 42 have tested negative for the virus once, 22 twice, and 110thrice.
According to the ExpandedNational Immunisation Programme, a total of 15,865 frontline medical workersand members of community-based anti-COVID-19 groups in Vietnam had beeninjected with COVID-19 vaccine as of March 15. The country began its COVID-19inoculation campaign on March 8.
In a bid to livesafely with the pandemic, people should strictly follow the Ministry ofHealth’s 5K message: khau trang (facemask), khu khuan (disinfection), khoangcach (distance), khong tu tap (no gathering) and khai bao y te (healthdeclaration)./.
Vietnam is expected to get 5.657 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19 in March and April, according to the National Expanded Immunization Programme.
Vietnam confirmed three more COVID-19 infections, including one imported and two in northern Hai Duong province, over the past 12 hours to 6pm on March 13, according to the Ministry of Health.
Vietnam recorded no new COVID-19 cases over the past 12 hours to 6am on March 14, keeping the total number of infections in the country at 2,553, the Ministry of Health said.
Another imported COVID-19 case was reported on March 14 evening, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 2,554, the Ministry of Health said.
In the past 12 hours to 6pm on March 15, Vietnam recorded three new cases of COVID-19, all Vietnamese citizens returning from abroad and being quarantined, according to the Ministry of Health.
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.
Taking sample for COVID-19 testing (Photo: VNA) 
