The three localities with the highest numbers of transmissions were the southernmost province of Ca Mau with 1,339, Ho Chi Minh City with 1,175, and Tay Ninh province with 932.
The new infections bring Vietnam’s COVID-19 tally since the beginning of the pandemic to 1,493,237, including 1,487,788 in the fourth wave starting late April.
The capital city of Hanoi recorded 423 new cases.
Three of the new infections were imported, with 9,888 cases detected in the community.
The other localities that reported new infections were Binh Phuoc (880), Dong Thap (795), Ben Tre (760), Can Tho (728), Khanh Hoa (598), Vinh Long (597), Bac Lieu (516), Dong Nai (479), Tra Vinh (421), An Giang (387), Binh Dinh (338), Soc Trang (334), Tien Giang (330), Hai Phong (330), Hau Giang (313), Binh Duong (275), Kien Giang (267), Ba Ria - Vung Tau (260), Thua Thien Hue (253), Bac Ninh (252), Da Nang (212), Lam Dong (181), Quang Ngai (179), Thanh Hoa (157), Dak Lak (152), Binh Thuan (150), Gia Lai (128), Quang Ninh (117), Quang Nam (106), Lang Son (95), Nghe An (83), Phu Yen (75), Ha Giang (69), Long An (65), Thai Binh (52), Ninh Thuan (49), Quang Binh (49), Hung Yen (46), Thai Nguyen (39), Hoa Binh (34), Quang Tri (31), Nam Dinh (29), Tuyen Quang (25), Son La (25), Dak Nong (24), Phu Tho (24), Vinh Phuc (21), Ha Nam (19), Bac Giang (19), Ha Tinh (10), Lao Cai (7), Yen Bai (4), Kon Tum (4), Dien Bien (2), Bac Kan (2) and Lai Chau (1).
Health authorities also announced 241 COVID-19 related deaths, raising the nation's death toll since the pandemic started last year to 28,857.
A total of 1,033 patients recovered on December 16, pushing the total number of recoveries to 1,064,461.
Over 59 million people have been fully vaccinated in the country so far.
