COVID-19 tally increases to 2,347 with 18 new cases in Hai Duong on February 18
Eighteen cases of COVID-19 were recorded in the past 12 hours to 6pm on February 18, all in the northern province of Hai Duong, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.
Hanoi, (VNA)♛ – Eighteen cases of COVID-19 wererecorded in the past 12 hours to 6pm on February 18, all in the northernprovince of Hai Duong, according to the National Steering Committee forCOVID-19 Prevention and Control.
The national tally reached 2,347 including 755locally-transmitted cases since January 27. During the day 25 patients were given the all clear, raisingthe total number of recoveries to 1,605. The death toll remains at 35. A total 144,071 people who had close contact with COVID-19patients or arrived from pandemic-hit areas are being quarantined nationwide.
Hai Duong - Vietnam's current largest COVID-19 hotspot - had basically managed to put undercontrol five big outbreaks by February 18, said the provincial steeringcommittee for COVID-19 prevention and control.
The five outbreaks are in Chi Linh and Hai Duongcities, Cam Giang and Nam Sach districts and Kinh Mon township.
The province has implemented strict lockdownmeasures since February 16 with 949 control stations set up across theprovince to monitor entry and exit.
😼 The northern locality has as of February 18 recorded 558COVID-19 patients in 75 out of 235 communes and wards in all of its 12district-level localities since January 27./.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has asked airlines to refuse serving passengers who fail to fill in health declarations and follow pandemic prevention and control regulations.
Bamboo Airways is receiving and transporting medical equipment to the northern province of Hai Duong free-of-charge from February 18 to March 15 under its programme to provide support for the country’s largest COVID-19 hotspot.
The northern province of Hai Duong - Vietnam's current largest COVID-19 hotspot - had basically managed to put under control five big outbreaks by February 18, said the provincial steering committee for COVID-19 prevention and control.
ASEAN member states, including Vietnam, have agreed to set aside 10.5 million USD from the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund to purchase vaccines for their citizens on the basis of equal distribution to all 10 countries.
A COVID-19 treatment hospital in the northern province of Quang Ninh on February 18 gave the all-clear to three patients who tested negative for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus three times.
Vietnam now boasts a nationwide healthcare network with 1,665 hospitals, 384 of which are non-public, supported by local commune- and ward-level stations. At the end of 2024, hospital bed capacity reached 34 per 10,000 people, slightly above the global average.
The 56-year-old patient from Quang Tri province was discharged in stable condition as he no longer experienced shortness of breath and was able to walk, move around, and eat normally.
Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Vu Trung, Director of the Pasteur Institute, said that under the MoU, the two sides committed to promoting diverse and practical collaborative activities, including joint conferences and workshops, exchanges of scholars, researchers and students, sharing academic materials, and the development of specific programmes and projects in scientific research, training, and epidemic prevention.
TytoCare, a leading Israeli telemedicine company based in Netanya, is willing to work with Vietnamese regulators, insurers, and healthcare providers to develop a sustainable digital health ecosystem.
The partnership is under the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding on the development and implementation of the National Action Plan on Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control, signed in Hanoi on July 22.
An estimated 7 million Vietnamese are currently living with diabetes, but about 50% remain undiagnosed, a dangerous gap that is fuelling serious, preventable complications and increasing the burden on the healthcare system.
In 2024, Vietnam achieved 99% coverage for the first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine, up from 80% in 2023. Immunisation coverage in the country has not only rebounded to the high levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic but has now surpassed the rates recorded in 2019.
Health authorities in HCM City have issued an urgent alert after six people died from dengue fever, amid a spike in infections driven by the onset of the rainy season.
During the peak months of July and August 2025, the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) needs at least 90,000 units of blood to supply 180 hospitals in the northern region. However, despite continuous efforts, the reserve blood is still short of 30,000 units.
The Hanoi ceremony highlighted efforts to ensure all citizens, especially women and youth, can access accurate information and healthcare services to make informed reproductive choices.
After such a long time, the law has revealed many limitations, prompting the Ministry of Health (MoH) to gather opinions to amend the law to give more chances to thousands of patients every year.
Currently, cardiovascular specialists from the 108 Military Central Hospital are working alongside a team of Prof.Dr. Jan D. Schmitto, Deputy Director of MHH’s Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery on clinical trials for MCS devices, implanted in heart failure patients either as a bridge to transplantation or as permanent treatment.
The centre not only serves residents living on the island, but also receives tens of thousands of visitors every year, according to Assoc Prof Dr Tang Chi Thuong, Director of the HCM CIty Department of Health.
Not only does Vietnam attract international tourists with its landscapes, culture, and cuisine, but it is also gradually becoming a reliable destination for medical treatment, offering high-quality services at reasonable costs.
Over the past six months, 150 communal health stations in provinces including Ha Giang, Bac Kan, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Yen Bai, Tay Ninh, Hau Giang, Ben Tre and Ca Mau have been equipped with information technology systems. In addition, 117 key provincial healthcare workers have received training, with thousands more expected to follow.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Ministry of Health swiftly launched a telemedicine programme, connecting more than 1,000 medical establishments nationwide. The model, which remains in operation, has benefited tens of thousands of patients, including foreign nationals.
After more than three weeks of intensive treatment, the patient's pneumonia improved, breathing stabilised, sedation was reduced, and the breathing tube was removed. He is now conscious, able to eat orally, and in recovery.
Collecting samples for COVID-19 test (Photo: VNA) 
