Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (standing) presides over an urgent meeting to discuss ways to contain newly-emerged COVID-19 clusters in Hai Duong and Quang Ninh, Ha Noi, January 28, 2021.

The latest figure was released at the ongoing meeting presided  over by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh, Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, Head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, and Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung are also present at the meeting.

Earlier in the morning, two local infections had been confirmed after the nation had gone 55 days without local infections.

All of the latest patients are in the northern provinces of Hai Duong and Quang Ninh.

Speaking at the meeting, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said right after detecting the first two cases, local authorities have quickly zoned off and identified 72 cases at Viet Nam Poyun Electronics Co., Ltd. in Cong Hoa commune, Chi Linh city, Hai Duong province and 10 others at the Van Don International Airport in Quang Ninh province.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc spoke highly of the subordinate levels’ drastic and timely actions, particularly their efforts in tracing and zoning off the newly-emerged COVID-19 clusters.

He ordered the subordinate levels to continue strict measures, including not allowing residents in Hai Duong and Quang Ninh to leave their localities.

The Government chief also ordered subordinate levels to rapidly zone off and scale up contact tracing in a calm manner./.