Acting Health Minister Nguyen Thanh long. |
However, whether the new strain’s virulence was greater than that of previous variants has yet to be confirmed, Nguyen Thanh Long, acting Minister of Health, said at a meeting with the National Steering Committee on Covid-19 Fight and Prevention on Monday.
Vietnam has recorded five strains among its previously confirmed cases, making this the sixth strain.
The new strain came from outside of Vietnam, but its origin remains unknown Mr. Long said, adding that the health ministry has submitted the new strain's data to a world gene bank for comparison.
Da Nang city has confirmed 14 COVID-19 community transmissions since Saturday.