Additional 131,713 COVID-19 cases recorded in Vietnam on March 21

It is the fifth straight day the country has seen a decline in the number of new transmissions, with total cases in the country now standing at 8,089,761 since the start of the pandemic.

About 4,169 COVID-19 patients are in serious or critical condition, with the majority requiring oxygen masks, 297 requiring invasive ventilation and five on life support.

The capital of Hanoi witnessed a reduction in the number of new daily transmissions for the 10th day in a row, with 17,916 cases.

The city has more than 346,950 COVID-19 cases currently being treated and monitored, with more than 99 per cent being treated at home.

Among about 3,300 cases being treated in hospitals, there are 589 severe infections, down nearly 10 percent compared to the average seven days ago.

Hanoi was followed by central Nghe An and northern Phu Tho provinces, with 5,403 and 5,348 infections, respectively.

Vietnam reported an additional 69 COVID-19 related deaths on March 21, raising the nation's death toll since the pandemic started in 2020 to 41,949, accounting for 0.5 percent of infections.

As many as 179,640 COVID-19 patients made a full recovery on the day. The total number of recovered patients in Vietnam has now reached 4,282,668.

More than 201.8 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the country so far, including 184.6 million doses for adults. About 17.06 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been given to children aged 12-17 years.