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Medical worker in HCMC infected with Covid-19

The Saigon Times

Trung Vuong Hospital in HCMC. A male nurse of the hospital has been found to be infected with Covid-19 – PHOTO: TNO

HCMC – A male nurse of the HCMC-based Trung Vuong Hospital has been found to be infected with Covid-19, a representative of the hospital said this afternoon, June 18.

The hospital discovered the nurse, who works at the hospital’s Department of Orthopedics, was infected with the disease after it performed a Covid-19 test for all of its employees.

The hospital reported the case to the HCMC Center for Disease Control and is discussing response measures, reported Tuoi Tre newspaper.

Earlier, a married couple went to the hospital on June 8 for a medical check-up. After they declared their health status, the medical workers suspected they might have been exposed to the coronavirus and decided to take them to a quarantine zone for a Covid-19 screening test.

Their results came out positive on June 9. They were sent to the Can Gio Covid-19 treatment hospital in Can Gio District.

In a related development, Tang Chi Thuong, deputy director of the HCMC Department of Health, said on June 17 that the department decided to convert the Trung Vuong Hospital into a Covid-19 treatment one.

The Trung Vuong Covid-19 treatment hospital has 1,000 beds, including 100 for intensive care treatment.

Menas Mall to hold blood donation program in July

The Saigon Times

The Menas Saigon Airport shopping mall – PHOTO: MENAS SAIGON AIRPORT

HCMC – The Menas Saigon Airport shopping mall in Tan Binh District, HCMC, will organize a blood donation program next month.

HCMC is facing a shortage of blood supply, which has become more serious during the Covid-19 pandemic. The local authorities have banned large gatherings to curb the spread of the pandemic, forcing many organizers to cancel or postpone their blood donation programs.

To help address the blood shortage, especially in this critical situation, Menas Saigon Airport has called on its employees and others to donate blood, which can help them improve their immune system and also save lives.

The event will begin at 8 a.m. on July 1 at the Menas Saigon Airport building, No. 60A Truong Son Street, Ward 2, Tan Binh District, HCMC.

The donors and organizers will have to strictly comply with Covid-19 infection prevention and control measures during the event.

For registration, visit https://bit.ly/3xoPciX or call 0833.588989.

New Covid-19 infections rise by 62

The Saigon Times

Competent forces remove a Covid-19 checkpoint in Ha Tinh City, Ha Tinh Province today, June 18. The Ministry of Health reported 62 new Covid-19 cases this evening – PHOTO: MOH

HCMC – The Ministry of Health reported 62 new Covid-19 cases this evening, June 18, including three imported cases that were quarantined upon arrival in Vietnam from overseas.

As for the 59 remaining patients who caught the disease through community transmission, HCMC still accounted for the most at 30 cases, Bac Giang reported 19 cases, and Bac Ninh had six. In addition, three cases were recorded in Ha Tinh and one in Hoa Binh.

Besides this, 80 coronavirus patients in the country were declared free of the virus today, raising the country’s recoveries to 4,733 cases up to now.

Also in the day, the anti-Covid-19 steering committee of An Lac Ward in HCMC’s Binh Tan District decided to lock down the headquarters of the An Lac Ward People’s Committee starting from today until further notice due to a coronavirus case, Tuoi Tre newspaper reported.

During the lockdown period, the authorities asked employees not to get out of the lockdown area, except for those in need of medical check-ups and treatment. Or else, violators would be tackled in the line with prevailing regulations.

In another development, Ha Tinh City in the north-central province of Ha Tinh removed Covid-19 checkpoints in the city this afternoon, as the Covid-19 situation in the city has been put under control after the 10-day social distancing period in line with the prime minister’s Directive 16. Accordingly, vehicles now can enter and exit the city as normal.

The city will switch to social distancing measures as regulated in the prime minister’s Directive 15, relaxing restrictions on some services.

Under Directive 15, events gathering more than 20 people and large gatherings of over 10 people outside office buildings, schools, hospitals are banned. People are required to keep at least two meters away from others in public places. Also, non-essential services have to shut down.

VN-Index hits new peak on strong cash flow

The Saigon Times

An investor watches stock information on the computer. Strong cash flow into bank and steel stocks pushed the VN-Index of the Hochiminh Stock Exchange up today, June 18, to its record of 1,377.77 points – PHOTO: VNA

HCMC – Strong cash flow into bank and steel stocks pushed the VN-Index of the Hochiminh Stock Exchange up today, June 18, to a new record of 1,377.77 points.

At the close, the main index jumped by 17.85 points, or 1.31%, against the day earlier, with 249 winners and 138 losers. Trade volume totaled over 809 million shares worth VND23.7 trillion, up over 5% in both volume and value from the previous session.

Over 58 million shares valued at VND2.8 trillion were traded in block deals.

In the group of bank stocks, HDB, EIB, BID, MBB and TCB were in positive territory, while lender VCB made a strong rise and reported a matching volume of over 3.2 million shares.

Housing developer VHM was among key drivers of the southern bourse, improving 3.2% at the close.

Among the steel stocks, TLH and SMC shot up to their ceiling prices, while NKG, POM and HSG soared by 2.9%-5.2%.

Many small and medium stocks also became cash magnets and moved up at the end, with property group FLC maintaining its growth momentum and closing up 3.1%. FLC became the most actively traded stock on the southern market with 53 million shares traded.

Financial firm FIT was also one of biggest gainers, rising by 2% and reporting a matching volume of 30 million shares.

With 109 gainers and 84 decliners, the HNX-Index of the Hanoi Stock Exchange stood at 318.73 points at the close, inching up a slight 0.52% from the session earlier.

Among the bank stocks, NVB ended at the reference price, while SHB and BAB made a mild rise. Lender SHB also took the lead on the northern bourse by liquidity, with 16.7 million shares changing hands.

Other largecaps such as securities companies SHS and MBS and service company THD finished the day up and contributed to the growth of the index, while many steel stocks were among the best performers.

71-year-old Covid-19 patient in An Giang dies

The Saigon Times

Medical workers take care of a Covid-19 patient. Vietnam’s Covid-19 death toll has risen to 62 – PHOTO: VNA

HCMC – A 71-year-old Covid-19 patient in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang died, becoming the country’s 62nd Covid-19 fatality.

According to the Ministry of Health, the woman, who resided in the province’s Chau Thanh District, also suffered from tuberculosis, hypertension and diabetes for 10 years.

The patient returned to Vietnam through the Moc Bai International Border Gate in Tay Ninh Province with her daughter and grandchild on June 2.

She tested positive for Covid-19 while in quarantine with various symptoms such as fatigue, chest pain and acute respiratory distress syndrome. She was then sent to the Ben Cau Medical Center for treatment.

Her condition worsened on June 11 so she was put on a ventilator. However, due to a serious infection and respiratory failure, she responded poorly to the treatment and passed away three days later.

This is the 27th Covid-19 death in the fourth Covid-19 wave beginning late April.