Local residents wait for their turn to undertake Covid-19 tests in Go Vap District, HCMC. Most of the country’s newly confirmed Covid-19 cases this morning were in HCMC - PHOTO: MINISTRY OF HEALTH

HCMC - Vietnam reported 277 new Covid-19 cases this morning, July 7, including 276 domestic infections and one imported case, taking the country’s Covid-19 tally to 22,341.

Among the domestic infections, 270 cases were recorded in HCMC, two each in Phu Yen and Dong Nai and one each in Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Ha Tinh.

The imported case was a man that returned to the country through the Moc Bai International Border Gate in Tay Ninh Province on July 4.

The total number of locally transmitted Covid-19 cases in the fourth Covid-19 wave since April 27 has amounted to 18,838, recorded in 55 cities and provinces.

HCMC is the country’s biggest Covid-19 hotspot in the latest outbreak with 7,655 cases.

To cooe with the surging caseload, the city has transformed two resettlement condo buildings in District 12 and Thu Duc City into the second and third field hospitals for Covid-19 treatment.

Tang Chi Thuong, deputy director of the HCMC Department of Health, said the second field hospital with 2,000 beds, located in Tan Thoi Nhat Ward, District 12, has been put into operation since July 5.

The third field hospital with 3,000 beds is located in An Khanh Ward, Thu Duc City and comes into operation today.

The city is also transforming a resettlement condo building in Vinh Loc B, Binh Chanh District into the fourth field hospital for Covid-19 treatment. The hospital has 3,000-5,000 beds and will be put into operation soon.

HCMC currently has 13 hospitals for Covid-19 treatment. Field hospitals receive asymptomatic patients or those with mild symptoms, while other hospitals are in charge of treating Covid-19 patients with severe symptoms or in critical condition.