Vietnam on Friday recorded its first coronavirus death, marking the first virus-related fatality in the country. The victim was a 70-year-old man was from the central city of Hoi An, according to reports. Vietnam, which has a population of around 95 million, has reported just 509 cases since the pandemic began. The country was applauded earlier this year for controlling coronavirus by putting in place stringent restrictions on movement, strict quarantine measures, and an effective tracking system. No new infections had been reported for more than three months before but an outbreak over the weekend in the beach resort of Danang, near Hoi An, has put the country back on high alert. Health officials on Friday also announced the country's highest single daily new cases since the pandemic began. The number of "infected people increased at a record figure" with 45 new cases, said the Suc Khoe Doi Song, a government-leaning newspaper. The patients aged between 27 and 87 were all being treated at or were employed at Danang's hospitals, or were their relatives, it added. "Elite medical experts" have been mobilized to help tamp down the outbreak in Danang, Doctor Tran Nhu Duong, deputy head of the National Institute of Epidemiology, told state TV as news of the first death emerged. Vietnam, which has a population of around 95 million, has reported just 509 cases since the pandemic began. Unlike many other countries, Vietnam acted before it even had confirmed cases, closing its borders early to almost all travelers, except returning citizens. Anyone entering the country must quarantine in government facilities for 14 days and undergo testing. — Agencies
