It brings the national tally to 74,371, including 72,242 locally-transmitted and 2,129 imported cases, since the first positive patient emerged in January last year.

But there were 1,450 people given the all-clear from coronavirus, a record number of recoveries in a 24-hour period. The total number of recoveries now stands at 13,421. 

Of the new infections on the day, 5,164 people were already in quarantined or locked down areas.

Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s current largest pandemic hotspot, saw 4,218 new cases.

The rest were found in Binh Duong province (679), Long An province (432), Dong Nai province  (210), Dong Thap province (117), Tien Giang province (68) , Ben Tre province (65), Ba Ria - Vung Tau province (63), Hanoi (50), Can Tho city (45), Vinh Long province (38), Da Nang city (27), Binh Thuan province (26), Phu Yen province (21), An Giang province (15), Hau Giang province (12), Kien Giang province (11), Tra Vinh province (9), Soc Trang province (8), Bac Ninh province (7), Dak Lak province (6), Binh Phuoc province (5), Khanh Hoa province (5), Quang Nam province (5), Binh Dinh province (4), Hai Phong city (3), Son La province (2), Quang Binh province (2), Vinh Phuc province (2), Dak Nong province (2), Hung Yen province (2), Thua Thien-Hue province (1), Kon Tum province (1), Lao Cai province (1), Quang Ngai province (1) and Ha Tinh province (1).

The total number of people vaccinated against COVID-19 has now reached nearly 4.4 million. Of those, 4,042,984 million have received one shot and 324,955 people fully got two jabs.