Vietnam has discovered a new coronavirus variant that is a hybrid of strains first found in India and the UK, Vietnamese Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said Saturday.
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Long said scientists examined the genetic makeup of the virus that had infected some recent patients, and found the new version of the virus. He said lab tests suggested it might spread more easily than other versions of the virus.
According to Long, the variant spreads quickly by air and is "very dangerous."
Viruses often develop small genetic changes as they reproduce, and new variants of the coronavirus have been seen almost since it was first detected in China in late 2019. The World Health Organization has listed four global "variants of concern" – the two first found in the UK and India, plus ones identified in South Africa and Brazil.
Long said the new variant could be responsible for a recent surge in Vietnam, which has spread to 30 of the country's 63 municipalities and provinces.
Vietnam was initially a standout success in battling the virus – in early May, it had recorded just over 3,100 confirmed cases and 35 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
But in the last few weeks, Vietnam has confirmed more than 3,500 new cases and 12 deaths, increasing the country's total death toll to 47.
The Vietnamese government has ordered a nationwide ban on all religious events. In major cities, authorities have banned large gatherings, closed public parks and non-essential business including in-person restaurants, bars, clubs and spas.
Vietnam so far has vaccinated 1 million people with AstraZeneca shots. Last week, it sealed a deal with Pfizer for 30 million doses, which are scheduled to be delivered in the third and fourth quarters of this year. It is also in talks with Moderna that would give it enough shots to fully vaccine 80% of its 96 million people.
Meanwhile, Vietnam's business hub Ho Chi Minh City will begin social distancing measures in the city for 15 days starting from May 31 in an effort to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, state-run Tuoi Tre newspaper reported on Sunday.
"All events that gather more than 10 people in public are banned city-wide, but the city is considering to lower the number of people to just five," Tuoi Tre reported.
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