Residents in Tây Ninh Province’s Châu Thành District take COVID-19 tests. VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY —  The southern province of Tây Ninh has seen a sharp increase in daily COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, placing it as one of the localities with the highest number of cases in the country.

The province reported 874 new cases on December 8, the country’s second highest number of cases following HCM City.

It has asked the Ministry of Health for additional medical personnel as well as more medicine and ventilators. The Ministry of Health on Wednesday dispatched 15 doctors and five nurses from E Hospital to aid the province’s pandemic response.

Earlier, a medical group with 30 doctors, including three ICU doctors, and 20 nurses were sent to the 500-bed Phước Đông Field Hospital in the province.

More than 16,600 COVID-19 patients are being treated at hospitals or at home, according to the provincial Department of Health.

The province’s health system has been overwhelmed by the new COVID cases and there is a shortage of medical personnel and medicines.

All nine districts and towns in the province have set up mobile medical teams to provide home care.

The number of people returning home and foreigners entering the country via the Mộc Bài and Tân Nam international border gates has risen sharply over the past month, with an average of 150-200 returnees a day.

Fully vaccinated people entering the country are required to quarantine for seven days at concentrated quarantine facilities or designated quarantine hotels.

More than 80 per cent of the province’s population has received at least one vaccine dose. The province is currently giving booster shots to frontline workers. — VNS