Nguyễn Trung Trực road in HCM City's, District 1, is left deserted during the social distancing period. VNA/VNS PhotoThanh Vũ

HÀ NỘI – There were 15 new COVID-19 cases announced on Saturday morning, but the Ministry of Health also added a further 563 cases to their total, all detected in HCM City on Friday.

Of the 15 latest cases, two are imported and 13 local transmissions. They were found in Bắc Giang (5), Tây Ninh (5), Long An (2), and Thái Bình (1).

Five of these were already in locked down areas. The source of transmission of the five cases in Tây Ninh Province is under investigation.

The majority of the additional patients who tested positive in HCM City on Friday were also already in locked down areas, but 14 were discovered through COVID-19 screenings at hospitals and a nurse at Bình Thạnh District Medical Centre was also confirmed to be carrying the virus.

Two others tested positive in centralised quarantine zones, and the source of 10 other cases is under investigation.

The total cases in Việt Nam is now 15,115 with 5,949 of those declared COVID-free after making a full recovery. There has also been a total of 74 fatalities. – VNS