Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Southern Vietnam, 2020–2021
MAY, VIRUS
The first COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Southern Vietnam on January 23, 2020, when two Chinese individuals arrived in Ho Chi Minh City and tested positive for the virus [COVID-19 incidence rate in Southern Vietnamese regions in 2020. Due to restrictions on movement and border crossing under strict quarantine, the incidence in 2020 in Southern Vietnam was sporadic. The incidence did not exceed 0.2 per 100,000 populationConsidering the situation in twenty provinces of Southern Vietnam, a total of 365 cases of COVID-19 were registered in 2020. Five provinces did not detect a single case: An Giang, Binh Phuoc, Hau Giang, Lam Dong, and Soc Trang. Almost half of all cases occurred in Ho Chi Minh City, Southern Vietnam's largest city (Table COVID-19 case numbers by province in 2020In January 2021, there was a relaxation of the ban on air travel, but only under certain conditions: if there was evidence of having completed a full course of COVID-19 vaccination (no later than 14 days before the intended visit to the country) as well as a negative test performed not more than 72 h earlier. During the first five months of 2021, the incidence rate remained at a consistently low level. In May 2021, the incidence rate was already 0.8 per 100,000 population. Despite previously successful public health measures, there has been a dramatic increase in cases since June 2021. The incidence rate rose from 16.8 in June to 851.9 by December 2021 (Fig. COVID-19 incidence rate in Southern Vietnamese regions in 2021. During the first five months of 2021, the incidence rate remained at a consistently low level. In May 2021, the incidence rate increased to 0.8 per 100,000 population. Since June 2021, there has been an increase in the number of cases from 16.8 in June to 851.9 by December 2021COVID-19 case numbers by province in 2021The maximum increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the second half of 2021 was observed in the three provinces closest to Ho Chi Minh City. Binh Duong province recorded 287,282 total cases in 2021. The southern districts of Binh Duong province are very urbanized and are within one of the districts of Ho Chi Minh City. The population is about 2.5 million people. Currently, Binh Duong is a zone of ecotourism, alongside a focus on historical and cultural relics. In the provinces of Dong Nai and Tay Ninh, 96,762 and 83,488 cases were detected, respectively. Due to their large populations, proximity to Ho Chi Minh City, and natural mobility of the population, these provinces experienced a high rate of increase in COVID-19 incidence (Table 